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Reducing your Carbon Footprint 

Water Conservation

 

Water, Water, Everywhere!

It is easy to dismiss the notion of having to conserve water in Florida, especially when we are surrounded by it. Tampa is a beautiful city and we, as residents of South Tampa, are very fortunate to have the Bay as a resource. But, water, like all our natural resources, is finite and we should endeavor to conserve our precious drinking water resource as much as possible. 

 

Some Water Facts:

Residents of Hillsborough County, including the City of Tampa and surrounding counties, have their water supplied by an agency known as Tampa Bay Water. This organization is “a non-profit, special district of the State of Florida created to plan, develop and deliver a high-quality drinking water supply.”  The agency determines that “Water demand projections show the Tampa Bay region will need an additional 10 million gallons of drinking water per day by 2028. Conservation can reduce water demands and delay the need for Tampa Bay Water to build new water supplies.”

 

According to a recent article, the winter of 2022–23 has been Tampa Bay's 9th warmest winter on record, with average temperatures 9.9 degrees warmer than those of winter 1970. Drier weather can worsen drought conditions and contribute to other weather-related issues.

 

Tampa Bay Water has many functions, one of which is to protect and conserve our water. To this end, they practice environmental stewardship, offer rebates and tips for water conservation efforts through the Tampa Bay Water Wise program. For more information on:

  • Residential and Commercial Rebates

  • Water saving tips

  • Watering restrictions

  • Water conservation resources

  • Retrofitting

Please visit Tampa Bay Water's website and the City of Tampa’s website. Both have information on rebates and retrofitting.

 

Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program:

This program is designed to recognize attractive, water-conserving landscapes in various water-use sectors, for example homes, businesses, industry and government. The program also seeks to identify actual examples of outstanding Florida-Friendly, Water Wise landscaping and to promote those principles within the community.’

Follow this link to find out how to apply for the Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Award program. The deadline for entries for 2023 was June 30.

Solar Conservation

According to solar.gov, "Solar energy is the fastest growing and most affordable source of new electricity in America. As the cost of solar energy systems dropped significantly, more Americans and businesses have taken advantage of clean energy."

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Hillsborough Co-Op 2023 Has Launched!

If you have ever considered solar but didn't know where to start, there is good news! Solar United Neighbors of Florida (SUN) has launched the Hillsborough 2023 Solar Co-op. SUN is a vendor-neutral 501c3 non-profit organization that brings Hillsborough County homeowners together into a group, or co-op to help people go solar. 

SUN provides unbiased, installer-neutral support through each stage of the process of going solar. Their experienced team ensures you understand how solar works, how it saves you money on your bills, and how it can be installed on your home. Co-ops take advantage of the group’s bulk-purchasing power to get discounted pricing and a quality installation. The installer is chosen on behalf of the entire group through an open and competitive bidding process. The selected installer provides everyone in the group with a personalized proposal for their consideration; there is no obligation to install, no commitment, or attempt to solicit. You are free to review the information provided and go with your own independent solar contractor. Read more on their website about this program in Hillsborough County. Got a question? Email us at flteam@SolarUnitedNeighbors.org.

 

Join the Hillsborough Solar Co-op today at: SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/Hillsborough. The Co-op closes to new members on August 4, 2023.

 

Join us for the next Florida Solar 101 information session via Zoom on July 25 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm EDT: https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/event/florida-solar-101-july25/.

Solar Conservation

Additional Resources: 

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