Florida Mobile Irrigation Laboratories (MILs)
For more than fifteen years, partnership-based Mobile Irrigation Labs (MILs) have been operating throughout the State of Florida. Presently, there are fifteen MILs providing service in 66 counties. Of the fifteen MILs, 10 are agricultural, four are urban, and one is agricultural and urban.
These MILs operate within all of the five water management districts (WMDs), and receive support from three of the WMDs, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), selected counties, and/or selected utilities in the State.
Each MIL consists of a one- or two-person team, a vehicle, and field equipment. The MIL services are free-of-charge and provide site-specific expertise in analyzing irrigation systems and educating property owners on how to improve water conservation and use. The MILs provide recommendations on the improvement of existing irrigation systems and equipment, and educate their customers and the general public on water conservation, irrigation planning, and irrigation management.
Although the MILs originally targeted agricultural water use, they also assist residential and commercial water users. Landscapes, nurseries, and golf courses have benefited greatly from the advice and education provided by the MILs. In addition to providing recommendations on irrigation system improvements, some MILs assist farmers by identifying water quality improvement opportunities available through Best Management Practices (BMPs).
Since 2004, these MILs have conducted more than 8,200 evaluations on more than 185,000 acres of land, resulting in water savings of more than 8.9 billion gallons of water a year, with the potential to save more than 20.3 billion gallons a year if all their evaluation recommendations were implemented. The cost to conserve water through MIL services is very competitive when compared to the costs to develop new sources of water.
- Mobile Irrigation Lab Contacts (435KB PDF)
This document lists the OAWP Mobile Irrigation Labs and contacts across the State. - Mobile Irrigation Lab Agricultural Service Area Map (277KB PDF)
- Mobile Irrigation Lab Urban Service Area Map (252KB PDF)
- Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL) Program Summary of Results (16KB PDF)
- MIL Database
This link allows you to register as a database user and to view standardized water conservation reports containing summary data provided by Mobile Irrigation Laboratories (MILs). - Mobile Irrigation Lab Handbook (10MB PDF)
This handbook contains guidance and support information for the Mobile Irrigation Labs.
Summary Water Savings Information Interactive Map (link will open in a new window)
Period Covered: July 2012 through December 2012.
Click on any highlighted county in the map to see its summary water savings information. Potential water savings is the estimated savings if all MIL recommendations made during the reporting period are implemented. Actual water savings are documented through follow-up evaluations. If actual water savings are greater than potential water savings, it is likely that there were more follow-up evaluations than initial evaluations during the reporting period.
* For more information on MILs, contact Camilo Gaitan at (850) 617-1715 or Camilo.Gaitan@FreshFromFlorida.com.