Estimation and Analysis of Irrigation in Single-Family Homes in Central Florida

Abstract

There are several studies that have estimated how much water is used for residential irrigation, principally at the national level, with outputs varying from 30 to 64% of total household potable water use. A methodology to estimate irrigation from potable use data in central Florida is presented in this paper. Monthly potable water billing records of single-family homes for the City of Tampa Water Department (TWD) and Orange County Utilities (OCU), Florida, were available from 2003 to 2007. Basic indoor water use at the household scale was estimated using two methods: the minimum month method and the per capita method. A range of impervious surfaces values (5, 15, and 20% from total green area) was considered to estimate the irrigable area. Irrigation was estimated on a monthly basis as the difference of total water use minus the estimated indoor water use, divided by the irrigable area. The estimated irrigation values were compared to a monthly theoretical irrigation requirement calculated by a daily soil water balance. The average total potable water use was 29.2 and