{"id":13943,"date":"2025-04-16T14:39:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T18:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=13943"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T19:17:25","slug":"now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span class=\"newsRelease\"><span style=\"text-transform: uppercase\">News Release<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-transform: uppercase\"><strong>For Immediate Release<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">Contact: Brandon Moore<br><a href=\"mailto:bmoore@tampabaywater.org\">bmoore@tampabaywater.org<\/a><br><a href=\"tel:+17277912304\">(727) 791-2304<\/a>\n\n\n<p><strong>CLEARWATER, Fla.<\/strong><strong> (April 8, 2025<\/strong><strong>) \u2013 <\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tampa Bay Water, in partnership with the University of Florida\u2019s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) County Extension and Florida-Friendly Landscaping\u2122 Program, now offers more opportunities to recognize homeowners and businesses for their beautiful, water wise landscapes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program recognizes Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas County residents and businesses for their use of attractive, Florida-Friendly landscaping and water-saving techniques. Applications are open until July 31 at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/awards.tampabaywaterwise.org\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">awards.tampabaywaterwise.org<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Award opportunities now include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Award:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Recognizes landscapes that feature the right plants in the right place, minimize stormwater runoff, use water efficiently and offer aesthetic appeal.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Best of the Region Award (New):<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Recognizes the best landscape of the year from the Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Award winners for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas County.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Conservation Commendation (New):<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"none\">Recognizes landscapes that excel in one or more categories.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cUp to 50% of water used at home can come from watering your lawn,\u201d said Amelia Brown, demand management program manager for Tampa Bay Water. \u201cThese new awards allow us to celebrate even more homeowners and businesses for efforts to save water while maintaining a beautiful environment.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Winners receive a custom mosaic steppingstone made by a local artist and recognition at local city council and county commission meetings. The new, best of the region award will be presented at a Tampa Bay Water board meeting.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Landscapes are evaluated by UF\/IFAS County Extension Agents and winners are selected based on performance in the following categories:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559731&quot;:720}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Retention of existing trees and vegetation<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Landscape design and plant selection<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Stormwater runoff prevention<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Efficient irrigation\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Aesthetic appeal<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Water-wise landscapes benefit homeowners and the environment by:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Improving Drought Resistance:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Choosing Florida-friendly plants suited to Florida\u2019s natural environment require less water. Native and Florida-friendly plants thrive in the local environment and can be drought tolerant.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Reducing Water and Maintenance:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Water wise landscapes typically have less turf grass and feature plants that require less upkeep. Plant the right plants in the right places and once established, the landscape requires less maintenance compared with turf.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Protecting the Environment:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"none\"> By using plants suited to the location, water wise landscapes minimize the need for fertilizers and pesticides that can be harmful to the environment and drinking water sources.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">About Tampa Bay Water<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tampa Bay Water is the largest wholesale water supplier in Florida, providing high-quality drinking water to its members, who in turn, supply water to more than 2.6 million residents of the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Water member governments include the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa, and the counties of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas.\u202fTo learn more, visit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/Newsroom\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">tampabaywater.org<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">About the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF\/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF\/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state\u2019s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. To learn more, visit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ifas.ufl.edu\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ifas.ufl.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">About the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Florida-Friendly Landscaping\u2122 (FFL) Program was designed to help residents and business owners create and maintain beautiful yards using research-based, environmentally sustainable landscaping practices. This program provides training opportunities and educational services that teach homeowners, landscaping professionals, and green industries how to water efficiently, fertilize appropriately, manage yard pests responsibly, and more. To learn more, visit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ffl.ifas.ufl.edu\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ffl.ifas.ufl.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13943","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"News Release For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Moorebmoore@tampabaywater.org(727) 791-2304 CLEARWATER, Fla. (April 8, 2025) \u2013 Tampa Bay Water, in partnership with the University of Florida\u2019s Institute of Food and Agricultural...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tampa Bay Water\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-16T19:17:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/\",\"name\":\"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-16T18:39:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-16T19:17:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/\",\"name\":\"Tampa Bay Water\",\"description\":\"Supplying Water to the Region\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water","og_description":"News Release For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Moorebmoore@tampabaywater.org(727) 791-2304 CLEARWATER, Fla. (April 8, 2025) \u2013 Tampa Bay Water, in partnership with the University of Florida\u2019s Institute of Food and Agricultural...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/","og_site_name":"Tampa Bay Water","article_modified_time":"2025-04-16T19:17:25+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/","name":"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications - Tampa Bay Water","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-04-16T18:39:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-16T19:17:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/news\/now-with-more-ways-to-win-tampa-bay-community-water-wise-awards-program-accepting-applications\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Now with More Ways to Win, Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program Accepting Applications"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/","name":"Tampa Bay Water","description":"Supplying Water to the Region","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13943\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tampabaywater.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}