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The Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program has been promoted as a method to conserve water through reduced irrigation (FS 720.3075 (4)(a)), but the actual savings has not been quantified. Success stories with measurable savings for FFL recommendations tend to have been implemented on a subdivision-scale, with most savings occurring in common areas and due to improvements in irrigation practices. The irrigation savings of individual FFL recognized homes has not been documented. This project seeks to estimate actual irrigation water use of FFL homes in Pinellas County, FL and quantify irrigation reduction relative to similar non-FFL homes.
Irrigation water use volumes will be calculated using total monthly potable water data for a subset of FFL homes and their neighbors. Homes have a single water meter that includes indoor and outdoor use. The outdoor (irrigation) water use will be calculated from the total use using three methods of separating indoor and outdoor flows: minimum month, winter average, and per capita indoor.
Irrigable area will be determined using high resolution images. Two irrigable areas will be calculated for each home: the actual irrigable area of the Florida Friendly Landscaping, which will assume that ornamentals do not require irrigation, and the maximum irrigable area. The theoretical irrigation demand for each home and each irrigable area assumption will be calculated using crop coefficients and the ASCE-EWRI standardized evapotranspiration equation.
The theoretical irrigation demand of the maximum irrigable landscape is the maximum irrigation required, whereas the theoretical irrigation demand of the Florida Friendly Landscape is the minimum irrigation required. The estimates of actual irrigation use will be compared to these values to determine how much water, if any, FFL homes are conserving and if the homes have maximized their savings. The FFL homes will also be compared to non-FFL neighbors to determine if similar conservation habits exist.
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