‘A water-less hero’: Winter Springs man’s personal plan to save water sparks legislative action

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — A Winter Springs man says he bought a tool to help him save water and control his lawn irrigation, but ended up launching a two-year research project.

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Art Gallo says what was an impulse purchase for him turned into a mission to revise laws to make it easier for everyone to save water.

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As he hung Christmas decorations, Gallo recalled a single step, two years ago, that started his journey: the purchase of a smart irrigation system to save water on his landscaping.

“I said oh, that’s pretty cool…I’ll get this thing and we’ll save some water,” Gallo said. “Well, silly little me, I didn’t realize that this new technology wasn’t recognized by the state yet.”

It turned out Gallo’s irrigation system would need to operate more frequently than the two days a week the city of Winter Springs allows for reclaimed water.

For three months, Gallo worked with a neighbor to earn approval just to use the system as a pilot project, installing the wiring and plumbing themselves.

Gallo divided his lawn into seven zones to determine how much water was needed in each area. Each considered factors like the amount of sunlight and wind they receive, soil type and slope, and even the type and density of other plants in the area and how much water they need on a day-to-day basis.

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Gallo logged daily water usage over the course of 400 days and 700 hours of personal time.

“We saved 202,068 gallons of water,” Gallo said. “That’s a 70-percent savings between the two of us.”

From there, Gallo highlighted the issues he faced then met with Seminole County State Legislator Rep. David Smith (R - Winter Springs) to draft solutions.

“Art picked part Florida building code to put this in the right posture to be able to propose legislation,” Rep. Smith said.

The proposed changes will be filed in the 2022 legislative session.

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“I think it’ll make it a lot easier for residents in our district and throughout the state to use these devices,” Saint Johns River Water Management District Water Conservation Coordinator Deirdre Irwin said. “He’s a water-less hero.”

Gallo’s two-year analysis also found that smart water irrigation systems may save the most water for high water users.

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