About 4 percent of our home water bill pays for energy to pump the water, treat and deliver it. About 17 percent of our waste water bill pays for energy to treat wastewater and reclaim it. Additionally, chemicals used to treat water and wastewater are energy intensive. We hear about water shortages and water contamination. Additionally, Florida has more than 29 million visitors annually and many snowbirds who reside here every year for just part of the year.
More people means more water and energy are needed.
In Florida, we doubled the per person water use in the 30 years from 1950 to 1980. Since the turn of the century, when water was used sparingly, the growth of water use has been even greater. For all Florida households home water use can be estimated to have grown from 50 million gallons per year in 1900 to 9.1 billion gallons per year in 1990. Statewide, home water use is 18,200 times as great as it was 90 years ago. Energy also plays an important role in the lives of Floridians .