The Source of Drinking Water in Vero Beach

The City’s water treatment plant is supplied by water from 35 wells. Twenty-eight of these wells draw water from the Surficial Aquifer, which is recharged by infiltration of rainwater. The remaining seven wells draw water from the deeper Floridan Aquifer. The quantity and quality of water varies widely. A lime softening process to reduce water hardness treats water from Surficial Aquifer. Water from the Floridan Aquifer contains large amounts of total dissolved solids and sulfates. These substances are best removed by reverse osmosis treatment. Three of the Floridan Aquifer wells serve as sources for the City’s reverse osmosis treatment plant constructed in 1992.

Ways You Can Help Conserve Water

• Take shorter showers. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low flow version.
• Make sure your home is leak-free.  
• Check your water meter when you are certain that no water is being used. If the meter reading changes, you have a leak.
• Repair dripping faucet by replacing washers. One drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year.

Conserving Water Outdoors

• Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces evaporation and waste.
• Don’t over water your lawn. Lawns only need watering every 5 to 7 days in the summer, and every 10 to 14 days in the winter. A heavy rain eliminates the need for watering up to 2 weeks. Buy a rain gauge. Most of the year, lawns need 1 inch of water per week.
• Raise the lawn mower blade to at least 3 inches, or to its highest level. A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and hold soil moisture.