95% of South Florida Residents Don’t Know Their Drinking Water Comes From The Everglades.
Joined by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and community leaders, The Everglades Foundation announced on June 15, 2022 the launch of its “Your Water Comes from the Everglades” education campaign at its offices in Palmetto Bay, Florida. The South Florida campaign will target residents from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties, all of which get their freshwater from the Everglades.
Mayor Levine Cava, The Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg, Board of Directors Chairman Carlos M. de la Cruz Jr., and other community leaders gathered alongside Biscayne Bay to underscore the need and importance of the campaign. Following the announcement, participants raised glasses of water, from the Everglades, to celebrate the vital ecosystem that supplies our freshwater.
“The Everglades ecosystem is a significant natural and economic resource for all of Florida,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Through this campaign, local residents will better appreciate that the clean water coming through their faucets is supplied by the Everglades. As Miami-Dade continues to grow, we must invest to ensure that our natural resources can support future generations across the county."
The Everglades supplies freshwater to 9 million Floridians and countless visitors, but recent data shows that South Florida residents remain largely unaware of this connection. A survey conducted in Miami-Dade and Broward revealed that 95% of residents don’t know their freshwater comes from the Everglades.* The “Your Water Comes From The Everglades” campaign aims to educate residents about the source of their freshwater.
“With so many new residents moving to South Florida each day, it is critical that we empower them with information on where their water comes from and how that is directly tied to Everglades restoration,” said Eikenberg. “While the Everglades is an extraordinary natural resource – it’s home to 2,000 species of plants and animals, and mitigates climate change impacts, among countless other benefits – it also provides the basic need of water to millions of Floridians and visitors. It is also imperative that when local governments are faced with decisions regarding growth, water and the protection of our water supply, takes center stage.
The multi-platform, bilingual campaign will have a strong digital focus in the tri-county area. Billboards, radio, video, and community media advertising will also help reach residents. Additionally, The Everglades Foundation is partnering with Univision to launch the "Nuestra Agua Viene de los Everglades" component of the campaign, engaging audiences through educational messages and digital content in Spanish.
“South Florida’s water supply is linked to the health of the Everglades, which is why Everglades restoration is so critical,” said Begoñe Cazalis, director of communications of The Everglades Foundation. “Everglades restoration will restore a vital flow of clean freshwater south from Lake Okeechobee that will enhance the drinking water supply for the region’s growing population and ensure Floridians and visitors alike can continue to enjoy fresh drinking water for years to come.”
“We all deserve to know what is at stake. With this campaign, we hope to remind South Floridians that the Everglades is connected to our everyday lives by supplying our most important resource, freshwater,” said Eikenberg.
To learn more about the “Your Water Comes from the Everglades” education campaign, visit evergladesfoundation.org/water and evergladesfoundation.org/agua.
*Bellwether Research surveyed 300 adults in Broward County and 300 adults in Miami-Dade County in English and Spanish between April 22-25, 2022. The full sample in each county was balanced to approximate a target sample of adults in Broward and Miami-Dade counties based on Census proportions by age, gender, race, and educational attainment.