Water Resources |
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For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.
- Sandra Postel
 Water has economic, social, and political characteristics that make it a unique and challenging natural resource to manage. Our habits, practices and expectations about the availability of fresh water are threatening our long term enjoyment of this vital resource. Water demand can be significantly altered if we make different choices. There are many conservation strategies that are very easy to implement as first steps toward a more sustainable water resource management system. Conservation also saves significant amounts of energy associated with treating wastewater and supplying potable water.
Demands and Supply
The City of Clearwater cannot pump enough water to meet the demand of its residents and businesses, so it purchases approximately two-thirds of what is used from other suppliers, such as Pinellas County and Tampa Bay Water. Transporting water is the highest energy user and greenhouse gas emissions source for the City of Clearwater government. The City is in the process of adding more reverse osmosis plants to treat brackish water to produce water at a less expensive rate than purchasing it.
Irrigation
 Up to 50 percent of a community's drinking water is used for irrigation. Clearwater continues to expand its reclaimed water system, which allows residents and businesses to use treated wastewater for irrigation and other nonpotable uses. Current reclaimed water projects include those in the Morningside, Skycrest, Lake Chautauqua, and Coachman Ridge areas.
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