• Coconut Creek awarded funding for water-saving devices
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Jan. 7, 2007 -- The South Florida Water Management District has awarded a Water Savings Incentive Program (WaterSIP) grant of $2,250 to the city of Coconut Creek for its pre-rinse spray valve retrofit program. The grant will be used to purchase 30 power-spray washers and provide them to the community's largest water users, mostly restaurants. The power-spray washers cut water consumption in half and produce an average savings of 1.5 gallons of water per minute. Estimates show that the city will be able to save more than 2 million gallons of water each year.
"Water conservation is everyone's business, and it is great to see cities partnering with their local restaurants to reduce water use," said SFWMD Governing Board member Shannon Estenoz.
Pre-rinse spray valves are recognized as one of the most cost-efficient water saving devices available for reducing commercial water use indoors. Primarily allocated for restaurants, these devices perform as effectively as regular spray devices while saving significant amounts of water.
To date, more than 1 billion gallons a year has been saved through WaterSIP projects. The projects are selected for funding by a committee of Governing Board-appointed citizens and South Florida Water Management District staff.
A WaterSIP applicant must be a public water utility, homeowners association, nonprofit group or community association. Public/private partnerships are encouraged. WaterSIP grants are awarded annually by the South Florida Water Management District.
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state -- 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts.
###
