{"id":216310,"date":"2026-04-02T17:21:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/216310\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T17:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:21:07","slug":"unf-adjusts-to-historic-florida-drought-with-strengthened-conservation-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/216310\/","title":{"rendered":"UNF adjusts to historic Florida drought with strengthened conservation efforts\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the St. Johns River Management District\u2019s issuance<\/a> of a Phase 2 water-shortage declaration mandating heightened restrictions due to extreme drought and low groundwater levels, the University of North Florida has stepped up its conservation efforts to navigate one of the state\u2019s most severe droughts<\/a> in over a decade.<\/p>\n

Beyond simple mandates, UNF has implemented a multi-layered sustainability approach, utilizing its reclaimed water systems and data-driven leak detection to ensure the campus remains a leader in environmental conservation, according to UNF\u2019s Assistant Director of Campus Sustainability William McMahon.<\/p>\n

UNF water usage<\/p>\n

With the National Integrated Drought Information System reporting<\/a> that 864,263 people in Duval County are affected by the drought, UNF\u2019s navigation through the drought relies on the JEA reclaimed water system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater<\/a> that meets strict standards imposed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using reclaimed water significantly reduces the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Florida aquifer and decreases the volume of treated wastewater discharged into the St. Johns River, according to McMahon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor campus irrigation, approximately 95% of the water UNF uses comes from JEA\u2019s reclaimed water system, and for every gallon of reclaimed water used for irrigation, one gallon of potable water remains in the aquifer,\u201d said McMahon.<\/p>\n

UNF receives reclaimed water through two locations, which supply most of the campus\u2019s irrigation needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Campus irrigation and drinking water<\/p>\n

Located on the Sawmill Slough Preserve<\/a>, UNF is intentional in the design and maintenance of the campus landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe University follows the \u2018Right Plant, Right Place\u2019 principle, which matches plant species to site conditions such as soil type, sunlight, and water availability,\u201d said McMahon.<\/p>\n

According to McMahon, this approach promotes healthy growth while minimizing the need for irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McMahon also credited the incorporation of drought-tolerant and Florida-Friendly plants across campus to UNF Botanical Garden Horticulturalist Rhonda Gracie.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The plants] require little to no supplemental irrigation once established,\u201d said McMahon.<\/p>\n

UNF currently has 14 gardens on campus recognized by the Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program for their sustainability and water efficiency, with each receiving Silver, Gold, or FFL Natural designations, according to McMahon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One example is the Bioswale Garden<\/a>, located between UNF Drive and the Science and Engineering Building, which does not rely on campus irrigation because it houses native and Florida\u2011friendly plant species.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to irrigation, UNF prioritizes the efficient use of drinking water across campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUNF has installed sub-meters across campus, allowing our Physical Facilities Department to monitor water consumption at the building level,\u201d said McMahon.<\/p>\n

This system enables the Physical Facilities staff to identify abnormal usage and detect leaks early.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to McMahon, this approach often prevents the loss of hundreds or even thousands of gallons of water per leak with just over 100 water meters installed across campus.<\/p>\n

What can we do?<\/p>\n

While UNF\u2019s initiatives significantly reduce water use, students, faculty, and staff also play an essential role in conserving water resources during this historic drought, according to McMahon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said that, even though they have detection systems in place, reporting leaks as soon as possible is one of the most important actions individuals can take.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven a leak that may seem inconsequential, such as two gallons per hour, can amount to over 300 gallons of water lost over the course of a week,\u201d McMahon said.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following the St. Johns River Management District\u2019s issuance of a Phase 2 water-shortage declaration mandating heightened restrictions due…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216311,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-216310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}