On 7/17/08, the Board of County Commissioners passed, on first reading, an ordinance to place a permanent restriction on serving water in restaurants unless specifically requested by the customer. A Public Hearing has been tentatively scheduled for the September 9th Governmental Operation and Environment Committee meeting.

The average person in Miami-Dade uses 158 gallons of water a day.  Almost half of that total is used outside the home, often wastefully, to maintain landscapes.

Developing efficient practices and using water wisely to enhance our life can help our community avoid, or at least lessen, the likelihood of future water shortages.

Educating our residents on how to use water more efficiently will help preserve these resources for future generations and will reduce future water and wastewater infrastructure costs.  Join us in our commitment to the protection of our most precious natural resource.

Miami-Dade County is a participant of the Florida Department of Environmental Resources’ Conserve Florida Initiative and is a partner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program.

Beginning April 18, 2008, Miami-Dade County will be under Modified Phase II water restrictions. In addition to the restrictions, residents are encouraged to save water both inside and outside the home. 

The South Florida Water Management District is currently in the rulemaking process to amend Chapter 40E-24, F.A.C., Mandatory Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Measures.

The purpose of these mandatory measures is to provide a framework for consistent implementation, ensure the long-term sustainability of the water resources of the region, increase water use efficiency and curtail or prevent wasteful water use practices through the adoption of ordinances that would include these measures, variance and enforcement provisions.

In April 2006, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners adopted the Miami-Dade Water Use Efficiency Plan though resolution R-468. 

The plan is part of a bigger effort to improve management of traditional water supplies while encouraging the development of alternative water supplies and improving the efficiency of our current water use.  Some of these alternative measures include reclaimed water for reuse, use of brackish water sources, wastewater recycling, recharge, and aquifer storage and recovery.