ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - As part of their initiative to save water, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners voted to remove water thirsty Saint Augustine grass from the west side of the County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville), and replace it with more hardy Centipede grass.
“Almost 60% of residential water use can occur outdoors, so Alachua County is leading by example by reducing our outdoor water use,” said Stacie Greco, Water Conservation Coordinator with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department. She continued, “We hope to encourage citizens to replace water intensive landscapes with those that can survive on rain water alone, or to greatly reduce irrigation and see how landscapes transform.”
The Alachua County Facilities Management Department’s transition of the Administration Building lawn is one of several examples of how Alachua County is reducing water use. For many years, irrigation systems have been turned off in the winter months when vegetation is not actively growing. Additionally, irrigation systems remain turned off in areas where vegetation is well established.
Learn ways to conserve and protect groundwater and springs.
For more information on conserving and protecting groundwater and springs, contact Stacie Greco at 352-264-6829 or sgreco@alachuacounty.us.
For more information on how the County is reducing water use, contact Alachua County Facilities Management Director Charlie Jackson at 352-374-5289 or crjackson@alachuacounty.us.