Addressing Florida’s Water Crisis
As Florida continues its unprecedented growth—welcoming over 1,000 new residents daily—landscape architects face an urgent challenge: how do we create sustainable, functional landscapes that don't deplete one of our state’s most precious resources—water?
The Water Crisis
Florida's population is projected to reach nearly 35 million by 2070. This growth trajectory presents a critical sustainability issue: our current water usage patterns simply cannot continue. As a state, we currently use more than 50 percent of available potable water every single day on irrigation alone. Our current daily usage is closely approaching the total amount of available water, and we expect to see a water shortage in the next few years.
The conventional approach to residential development has become problematic. For decades, master-planned communities have followed the same pattern: clear the land, regrade it, install irrigation systems, and plant vast expanses of thirsty turf grass that require regular fertilization and maintenance. The average Florida yard consumes 990 gallons of water with each irrigation cycle—equivalent to flushing a toilet 774 times or running a dishwasher 50 times!
The OUTSIDE Collaborative
At Dix.Hite, we're fortunate to be part of the OUTSIDE Collaborative – a dedicated group that is pioneering a sustainable alternative for our state. Together, following the guide of our New Yard Pattern Book, we've developed residential test plots in Central Florida communities that dramatically reduce water consumption while enhancing biodiversity.
Simplicity is at the heart of our approach, yet its impact could be profound:
Native plant selection: Using plants adapted to Florida's climate that thrive with minimal intervention
Reduced lawn areas: Limiting turf grass to functional spaces only
Compost-based amendments: Replacing chemical fertilizers and pesticides with natural alternatives
Water-conscious design: Creating landscapes that require minimal supplemental irrigation
Results in Sunbridge
The numbers speak for themselves. Residential test plots using the New Yard Pattern Book’s approach in the Sunbridge community average just 15.5 inches of irrigation per year—nearly half of Florida Water Authority's recommendation of 28 inches annually. Comparatively, traditional landscapes in the neighboring Del Webb community use a staggering 53 inches of irrigation per year.
We’ve estimated the impact of this gap for homeowners and it is substantial. On average, residential landscapes that adopt the New Yard Pattern Book’s approach can expect savings between $70-$100 monthly on water bills and reduced maintenance costs. This translates to approximately $1,000 saved per household annually – all while enjoying more beautiful, biodiverse landscapes.
As Florida's population continues to grow, the need for sustainable landscape solutions becomes increasingly urgent. At Dix.Hite, we're committed to expanding this model through our work with the OUTSIDE Collaborative, providing master-planned communities with practical guidelines for creating landscapes that are beautiful, functional, and ecologically sound.
By reimagining residential landscapes, we're proving that conservation and aesthetics can go hand-in-hand – creating communities that are more sustainable, more affordable to maintain, and more connected to Florida's natural heritage.
The future of Florida's landscape isn't about sacrifice – it's about intentional design. And at Dix.Hite, we're proud to be part of the solution.
