FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

Contact:           Patty DiPiero, Lee County Utilities, (941) 479-8534

LEE COUNTY UTILITIES URGES WATER CONSERVATION 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 3, 2002) – Lee County Utilities is urging everyone to help aid in conserving water.  This time of year in Southwest Florida is the driest and about 60 percent of our water use is for lawn irrigation.  

Lee County would like to remind residents that a lawn only needs one inch of water per week and should only be watered when absolutely needed. 

Sprinklers can be outfitted with rain or moisture sensors to keep irrigation from turning on when your lawn does not need the water.  Sprinklers also should be placed on areas of the lawn so that the system is not watering sidewalks, driveways or streets. 

Sprinklers should be used only between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. 

Other ways people can conserve water (the average person uses about 130 gallons a day) include: 

Outside

§         Use mulch to help maintain moisture in the soil.

§         Plant native or drought tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees.

§         Do not hose down driveways, sidewalks or any other type of pavements.  Use a broom.

§         Use an automatic shut-off nozzle while washing your car.

Inside

§         Run dishwashers only when you have a full load.

§         Use the water control level on your washing machine to match the size load of laundry.  If you don’t have a water control level, only run the washing machine when you have a full load.

§         Fix dripping faucets and leaking toilets.

§         Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.

§         Use aerators on sinks to cut down on water use by as much as 50 percent.

§         Install low-flow showerheads.

Water conservation not only will help out the environment, but also will save you money on your water bill. 

The county’s Utilities Division serves 48,500 water and 33,600 sewer customers in portions of North, East and South Lee County.  The county operates five wastewater-treatment plants – Fort Myers Beach, Fiesta Village, Waterway Estates, Highpoint and Pine Island – with a total of 10-million gallons of capacity per day, and five water-treatment plants – College Parkway, Corkscrew, Green Meadows, Olga and Waterway Estates – with a combined 26-million gallons of capacity per day.  The Utilities Division has an annual operating budget of about $27 million.