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Saving water for not-so-rainy days

Chris Dewey lures developers to think green before they build. He's a whiz at water conservation - and a little salesmanship, too .

By Lisa Buie
Published November 26, 2006

When it comes to promoting conservation, Chris Dewey is part scientist, part innovator. But mostly he's a psychologist.

"I tell people they have a problem," he said. "But then I help solve that problem. I'm a troubleshooter."

Dewey's title is builders/developers outreach coordinator for the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program, a part of the Pasco County Extension Service.

He is charged with the task of encouraging builders and developers to think green when constructing homes, shopping centers and offices.

If regulators can get those who want to pave paradise to use water-saving devices before a building is occupied, that goes a long way toward saving water overall.

No more retrofitting is needed, and the county doesn't have to fight off lawsuits from developers who consider the rules too rigid.

Dewey prefers to talk about his job in terms of successes. Developers are building greener, he says, because it makes good business sense, and they know the water shortages will only get worse as the area grows.

"There's a huge increase in energy costs. There's a recognition among builders they need to take into account the things that are happening now and what could get worse in the future," he said.

Water is a theme that began early in Dewey's life. His father was a naval officer.

"My dad sat me down at the dinner table and said, 'Oceans are where you want to be, my boy,'" Dewey said. "It was one of the few times I listened to Dad."

Dewey joined the Navy himself and trained for a spot on the underwater demolition team.

It wasn't for him.

Instead he worked on ships. Later, he worked in fisheries and became a marine biologist.

His work took him to the Arctic, where he did sea ice studies for an oil company. He also worked in Saudi Arabia but eventually returned to the States.

The 56-year-old ended up in Pasco County to be near his father, a snowbird in Clearwater. After a six-month stint working for the Florida Parks Service, he was hired at the county Extension Service in 2002.

The job had previously been one with a goal to educate homeowners about conservation. But officials decided it would result in better conservation earlier if builders were involved.

"So I relied on what I know," he said.

And from his years as an entrepreneur, what he knew was how to be a salesman.

"Education and sales - it's a fine line," he said. "I basically sell an intangible."

Here's how Dewey operates. He goes on building inspections, and if builders aren't following water rules, he contacts them and offers solutions. Then, when builders buy in, Dewey helps shepherd the paperwork to ensure that coveted certificate of occupancy is granted quickly.

"That's the way I get them to cooperate with me," he said.

He accomplished that last year with Lake Jovita.

In 2002, the County Commission approved an ordinance restricting what percentage of property could be devoted to St. Augustine grass and other thirsty landscaping.

But posh Lake Jovita's deed restrictions required St. Augustine. The community was partly complete before the ordinance took effect. The residents and builders wanted all 900 yards to be allowed to use the more lenient rules.

The homeowners threatened court action if the problems couldn't be resolved.

But Dewey hammered out a compromise.

He offered Lake Jovita the opportunity to install soil moisture sensors, devices that go into the ground and shut off sprinkler systems when the greenery has enough water.

In exchange for installing the sensors, Lake Jovita obtained a variance from the rule that no more than 50 percent of a yard be irrigated.

The Lake Jovita project recently earned Dewey an award from the Southwest Florida Water Management District

In addition to the recognition, he got a set of crystal coasters painted with a scrub jay design by St. Petersburg artist Esther Scott.

"After studying the possibilities for water conservation by homeowners, Chris zeroed in on the benefits of irrigation systems," said Sylvia Durell, a project manager for Swiftmud.

"That can take the decision of how much to water out of the hands of homeowners. They can sometimes be confused as to how much to water."

The sensors can also save homeowners on their water bills, Durell said.

Dewey is working on another sales job now; this one involves pest control. On a desk inside his cramped cubicle in the West Pasco Government Center are three jars of water containing one-celled organisms that serve as food for the bacteria.

The bacteria are known to eat mosquito larvae, therefore reducing the need for pesticides.

Dewey called the mosquito control director. He's not sure this one's going anywhere for now.

Said Dewey: "He was polite."

[Last modified November 25, 2006, 10:41:31]