Feature Article - for release the week of  July 14, 2008

Angela Sachson – Florida Yards & Neighborhood

Water, Water Everywhere ?

 Water is in the news more these days.  Some good news, some not so much.

At your next meal, take a moment to look at the glass of water on your table. That water is as old as the earth.   Since the beginning we have had the same water and the same amount of water cycling through its various formations.  Clouds, Ocean, Groundwater, Streams, Rain and Snow -  the same water.  Here is where it is found :

• 97.2% is in the oceans—that is, saltwater.
• Only 2.8 % of the world’s water is fresh.
• Of that relatively small amount, 75% is locked up in glaciers and ice sheets near the poles.
• Most of the rest—24% of 2.8 percent—is in aquifers below the ground.
• That leaves one third of one percent of fresh water which is in rivers and lakes.
• Then, there is a tiny amount in the atmosphere. 

In South Florida it seems like a lot, however.  So, groundwater, lakes and rivers and the bit in the atmosphere together--- less that one percent, is shared to meet the daily needs for the world’s population.

A Water Use crisis 

World’s water use will increase 40% in the next two decades. In the southeast United States, which includes Florida, consumption grew by 15% from 1990 to 2000 compared to 2 percent nationwide. Our population grew by 20% compared to 13% for the country. Since 2000 we have added four and a half million additional people.

Water is not distributed evenly across the world.  The water problems of the Southeast United States pale compared to other countries.  South and North America have the most.  In the United States we have 9,900 cubic meters per person per year.  Kenya has 600 and the country of Jordan has 300.  One person in five in the world has no safe drinking water and one in two lacks safe sanitation.

This contributes to the more than 30,000 children who die every day before reaching their fifth birthday.  Adequate safe water is the key to good health and a proper diet.

We use about 70% of fresh water for agriculture.  The World Water Council believes that by 2020 we will need 17% more water for agriculture than is available if the world is to be fed.

So, that, in a nutshell, is the precarious state of water today.  There are several reasons for this crisis:

• The rise in the world’s population and desire for better living standards.
• Another is inefficiency in the way we use water.  Agriculture had traditionally been wasteful but in most cases has become much less so.
• Pollution is making more water unusable.  The Aral Sea in central Asia is has Upstream pollutants that have basically destroyed the area.
• Utilities have made constant withdrawals from the aquifer with little water returning.  This has resulted in saltwater intrusion—in which salt water enters the empty aquifers near the coasts. 
• Emptied underground aquifers can subside and cause cities to sink.  Examples are Mexico City , Bangkok and Venice , Italy . You may even have seen sink holes here in Florida.  And rivers and lakes fed by the underground water can dry up.

 

Now for the good news.

Many programs are being started where people are being taught how to sustain themselves including sanitizing their water.  Many of these programs are aimed at children.   One teaches small-scale raised gardens planted intensively and actually include tin cans in the design to provide nutrients to the plants. 

You may have heard of ECHO in Fort Meyers where missionaries and others learn sustainable gardening techniques.  If you have a chance to visit ECHO, do so. 

Agriculture is improving irrigation methods. Drip irrigation is often replacing spraying.    Desalinization may be an option if less expensive methods can be developed.

More citizens are aware of, and concerned about the problem.  In 1999, a UN report said. “The environment remains largely outside the mainstream of everyday human consciousness.”  Now people are talking more about water.  World conferences sponsored by the United Nations, the World Bank, and others are being held with some regularity.  This is a world-wide problem.  

What you can do

Some things you can do right here and right now to conserve water and also to keep the water we have clean. Florida Yards & Neighborhoods encourages people to use 9 basic principles in landscaping.

1.  Right Plant, Right Place - Select drought tolerant plants and group them according to water needs.  Reduce the amount of turf in your yard and replace it with something less thirsty.

2.  Water efficiently - Water infrequently and deeply or, not at all.  Let your lawn tell you when it’s thirsty—the leaves will fold up and you will see your footprints in the grass.

3.  Fertilize Appropriately - Follow the directions on the bag and avoid using phosphorous.

4. Mulch - Use 3-4 inches of mulch to help hold moisture in the ground.  Use newspaper under the mulch to help discourage weed growth.

5. Attract Wildlife - As our landscapes have become less diverse, wildlife has moved away.  Provide food, shelter, water

6.  Manage yard pests responsibly - Watch what you spray, pick off pests, treat only infected parts of plants and use toxic chemicals as a last resort.

7.  Recycle - Leave grass clippings on your lawn.  Learn to compost—the extension service will be glad to teach you how.

8.  Reduce Stormwater runoff - Create a low area in your yard to catch and hold rain so it filters through the earth down to the groundwater below

Use pavers rather than concrete so water can filter down instead of running off.

9.  Protect the waterfront - If you live next to a body of water please do not use any chemicals within ten feet of the water.

There are many actions which will need to be taken by individuals and governments.  We can begin today in our own landscapes. If you would like more information about water conservation please contact your County Extension Service in Glades County at863-946-0244, Highlands County at 863-402-6540, and in Okeechobee at 863-763-6469.  Okeechobee residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  GO GATORS!     

-30-

Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean. Last update: 07/21/2008.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert