Tampa Bay Water approves continued funding for Florida-Friendly Landscaping program

For the 22nd consecutive year, Tampa Bay Water’s board of directors approved funding for the Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough county Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program. Tampa Bay Water will provide $443,668 to the program, whose goal is to foster a sense of environmental stewardship among citizens by increasing awareness of natural systems and resources, and how they relate to ecology, economy and quality of life.

The program’s greatest emphasis is on designing, installing and retrofitting existing landscapes and associated irrigation systems to more Florida-friendly landscapes, which leads to increases in water use efficiency. At certain times of the year, up to 50 percent of all water used in the Tampa Bay region is used outdoors, so increasing outdoor efficiency has far-reaching benefits. The FFL program provides specific focus on increasing efficiency of potable water use through its programs.