During a meeting last week with local health care and business professionals, Wildwood Development Services Director Melanie Peavy laid out the city of Wildwood’s water conservation efforts and usage, fielding questions about the current crisis conditions.
According to Peavy, a single family residence in the city of Wildwood is estimated to consume around 300 gallons of water each day. In The Villages (including the portions of The Villages that lie within the boundaries of Wildwood), water consumption occurs at a reduced rate of “about a third” of that of Wildwood. Peavy explained that although there are far more residents in The Villages, which should result in more consumption, The Villages’ conservation efforts have largely helped reduce their consumption.
When asked to justify development in the city of Wildwood given the depletion of clean water, Peavy explained that, as a municipal service provider, water consumption within the city is limited by the state. She added that the current state-approved limit is four million gallons a day, and that this was approved based on city size and demand.
If the city desires to increase that limit in order to support new businesses or residential developments, the city of Wildwood must first approach the state of Florida for justification “to prove that there is sufficient demand for the water.”
Peavy went on to discuss alternatives to save water, indicating that the federal government has given cities, including Wildwood, a deadline by which to provide alternative water solutions. Although popular, desalination is something the city looks to avoid because of the price tag associated with the process. Instead, Peavy indicated that the city is in the process of drilling to Florida’s lower aquifer, a measure that larger cities in Florida abide by in order to match residents’ demands.
As a part of ongoing conservation efforts, the city of Wildwood offers a check list for residents to keep track of their water consumption.
