OVIEDO, Fla. – Some Oviedo residents may soon receive notice that their water consumption stands out from the crowd.
In a Facebook post early Wednesday, Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek announced the city has compiled a list of households using the most water within four neighborhoods: McKinley’s Mill, Bentley Woods, and Twin Rivers East and West. The 30 highest water users in each community have been identified, not to single anyone out, but to help residents save money — and water.
“We wanted to be able to let people know if they are an outlier,” Sladek said in an interview at her home. “If you’ve got a neighbor whose yard looks great and their water bill is much lower, maybe your yard can look just as good while using less water. There could even be an undetected leak, and spotting that could save residents money.”
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The city’s review looked specifically at outdoor water usage, particularly irrigation, which Sladek said accounts for much of the high water bills.
“It’s neighborhood by neighborhood,” the mayor said. “We picked areas with similar HOA rules and lot sizes to fairly identify the top users.”
Most of the water, she explained, is drinking water used to keep lawns green.
“A lot of people don’t realize they’re using potable water for their grass. That’s really where we need folks to make a change —to help our aquifer," she said.
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Sladek encourages residents to explore drought-tolerant landscaping and to change watering habits for deeper, less frequent irrigation.
“I have Saint Augustine grass in my own yard that I don’t irrigate. Its roots go 9 inches deep. Training roots is a matter of watering less often, but soaking it more deeply,” she said.
Despite concerns from some residents, being on the list shouldn’t cause alarm, the mayor said.
“Our goal isn’t to embarrass anyone,” Sladek said. “It’s just about awareness. If you want to use more water than others, you’re legally entitled to. But many people don’t even realize they’re in the top tier of usage.”
Her final word of advice? “Take a look at a yard you admire that’s not on this list,” Sladek said. “Do you want your bill to look more like theirs, or do you want to keep paying for your current usage?”
The city hopes the effort will nudge residents toward more sustainable water use and ultimately help conserve the region’s precious aquifer.