MIAMI VICE: WATER SQUAD CROCKETT AND TUBBS, A.K.A. THE

14 August 2015 | Volume 1 | Issue 19
MIAMI VICE: WATER SQUAD
Directly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts with its roughly 52 inches
of rainfall annually,1 southern Florida may not be a place you
would expect to encounter drought, but they too are dealing with
increased water volatility. South Florida has a unique climate that
is split in two distinct meteorological periods: the five-month rainy
season from June through October which produces 70 percent
of the annual rainfall and the seven-month dry season from
November through May.2
With their major sources of drinking water being dependent on
the replenishment of aquifers with rainwater, any interruption or
disturbance in that natural delivery system can have immediate
impacts for residents—particularly during the much needed rainy
season. With rainfall lagging 11 to 14 inches from historic averages,
The National Weather Service3, the US Drought Monitor4 and the
South Florida Water Management District5 (SFWMD) have all issued
assessments of water scarcity. In fact, over 25 percent of the
state’s population lives in areas that are currently characterized as
being in Severe to Extreme Drought.6
CROCKETT AND TUBBS, A.K.A. THE STICK
In response to continued indications that water volatility will
impact drinking water supplies, the state adopted Florida
Administrative Code Chapter 40E-24 “Mandatory Year-Round
Landscape Irrigation Measures Conservation Measures” on 14 July
2014.7 The goal of Chapter 40E-24 is to reduce outside irrigation
use by limiting landscape irrigation water use to two days per
week and prohibiting irrigation during those periods of the day
when irrigation efficiency significantly decreases. The rule also
encourages users “to apply no more than 3/4-inch to 1-inch of water
per week on their lawns and landscapes and only as needed to
supplement rainfall.”
Unfortunately, users lack both the availability and granularity of
data to meet the regulatory requirment and it’s herein that lies
the problem. The broad application of mandates without the
means for individuals to manage or monitor their usage results
For more information, please visit www.gwfathom.com or call 1.855.FATHOM1 (1.855.328.4661).
©2015 FATHOM Water Management, Inc. Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved.
in ineffective policies. While outside irrigation
controllers can be programmed, it is rare that they
incorporate flow measurement or rainfall sensors—
particularly at the residential scale. As such, the rule
provides aspirational exhortations to use less water,
with no mechanisms for water users to effectively do
so.
And yet, those who do not comply face punishment.
The expectation is that “it shall be the duty of each
water user to keep informed as to the landscape
irrigation conservation measures presented within this chapter, which affect each particular water
use.”8 Even further, Chapter 40E-24 F.A.C. affirmatively requires that an alleged violation of the watering
restrictions be investigated :
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS LICENSING LLC
(1)
As required by Section 373.609, F.S., each county and city commission, state and county attorney,
sheriff, police officer and other appropriate local government official in the region covered by this chapter
which is not implementing alternative landscape irrigation conservation measures pursuant to a local
government ordinance, shall respond to address-specific or location-specific violations of this chapter
upon request from the District [emphasis added].9
This is a very expensive method of achieving compliance with the objective of Chapter 40E-24. And in
many ways it’s counter-productive.
DATA AND ENGAGEMENT, A.K.A. THE CARROT
If utilities have learned anything over the past two decades about customer engagement and behavioral
modification, it is that 1) customer expectations are changing and that 2) the blind use of regulatory
measures to achieve compliance with environmental goals is ineffective.
With the widespread adoption of social media tools and modern
communication methods, our customers are demanding we engage them
in a meaningful dialogue about conservation. In addition, it is simply not
enough to place the onus on the customer to change; they also expect us
to provide them the tools necessary for them to achieve that change.
While enforcing watering restrictions is important, employing first
responders to enforce these restrictions is not a cost effective way of
managing compliance. A typical call attended to by a police department
in the United States incurs $50 to $150 in labor and vehicle costs10, and
these personnel are unlikely to be immediately available to perform any
investigative service. They are also unlikely to be in the vicinity to stumble
upon water waste by chance.
The costs of enforcement can easily exceed the cost of the infraction.
While it may certainly act as a deterrent and fines can be imposed to
recover these costs, the fact is that without data, agencies will continue
to expend time and resources in a reactive attempt at curtailing outside
For more information, please visit www.gwfathom.com or call 1.855.FATHOM1 (1.855.328.4661).
©2015 FATHOM Water Management, Inc. Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved.
water use. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely they will catch anyone “in the act.”
COST EFFECTIVE AND CUSTOMER-FOCUSED COMPLIANCE
A significantly more cost effective way to incentivize and monitor compliance with watering restrictions
is through the use of powerful engagement tools. The FATHOM meter data management and customer
presentment tools combine the best of data, analytics and presentment to provide a geospatial, timesynchronized understanding of where and when water is being used—transforming water data into
information for utilities and customers.
Combined with an Advanced Metering
Infrastructure (AMI) installation,
communities not only have the means
to understand exactly when water
is being used, they have the data to
understand the specific volume/time
relationship of the usage which can
be used to indicate specific types of
usage, such as outside irrigation. With
this highly granular data, municipalities
can engage directly with their
customers, educating them on current
conditions and long-term trends while
encouraging them to take proactive
steps to change their consumption.
While we may want to see Crockett and Tubbs roll up in a Ferrari Testarossa to nab the water wasters,
there’s a better, faster, cheaper way to encourage conservation and compliance: data and analytics.
REFERENCES
http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20weather/rainfall%20historical%20%28normal%20florida%20annual%20
1
rainfall%20map%29
http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/levelthree/weather%20%20water
2
http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=MFL&issuedby=MFL&product=DGT&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0 (accessed
3
10 Aug 2015)
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/jpg/20150804/20150804_FL_trd.jpg
4
http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20weather/rainfall%20historical%20%28year-to-date%29 (accessed 10 Aug
5
2015)
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/MapsAndData/DataTables.aspx?state,FL (Accessed 10 Aug 15)
6
http://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xrepository/sfwmd_repository_pdf/40e_24_final_rule_text_yrlicm_3_15_2010.pdf
7
F.A.C. Chapter 40E-24.201(3)
8
F.A.C 40E-24.401 Enforcement
9
http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/412729-Opportunities-for-Police-Cost-Savings-Without-
10
Sacrificing-Service-Quality-Reducing-False-Alarms.PDF
For more information, please visit www.gwfathom.com or call 1.855.FATHOM1 (1.855.328.4661).
©2015 FATHOM Water Management, Inc. Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved.