Water conservation is
key element in achieving
effective green building
Column contributed by the Florida Green
Building Coalition (FGBC)
W ater plays a big role in our
local communities. Without
water, there would be no local busi-
ness or industry. Fire fighting, munici-
pal parks, and public swimming pools
all need a reliable supply of water. In
addition, water is used for agriculture,
manufacturing, energy production,
and outdoor recreation.

Almost every facet of life in Florida
is closely associated with water. Ac-
cording to the U.S. Geological Survey,
the average Floridian uses 133 gallons
of water each day. Slightly less than
8 – SPRING 2017 — Florida Construction News
half is used inside the home. The rest
is used outdoors, primarily for land-
scape irrigation.

As our population grows and the
demand for drinking water increases,
Florida must build on its water conser-
vation initiatives and expand the use
of reclaimed water to extend ground-
water supplies. In many areas, utilities
will need to develop alternative
sources of water to bolster traditional
drinking water sources.

This increasing demand on our
state’s water resources necessitates
that sustainable building be a corner-
stone of Florida’s future.

To that end, the Florida Green
Building Coalition (FGBC) develops
and administers the “Florida Green”
green building certification standards,
designed to increase the sustainability
of Florida’s built environment.

Land developments requiring
green home certification such as
Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County,
Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County,
Oakland Park in Orange County, and
Alys Beach in Walton County are key
drivers for advancing sustainability
among the building industry. And the
builders embracing this trend such as
Neal Communities, Lennar, Pulte, Mat-
tamy Homes, Taylor Morrison, William
Ryan Homes, Southern Crafted