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Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner    -    Richard J. Budell, Director

Florida Mobile Irrigation Laboratories (MILs)

For more than 15 years, partnership-based Mobile Irrigation Labs (MIL’s) have been operating throughout the State of Florida. Presently, there are 16 MILs providing service in 46 counties. Of the 16 MILs, 10 are agricultural and 6 are urban.

These MILs operate within and receive support from four Water Management Districts, 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 MIL’s 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 focus on residential and commercial water users. Landscapes, nurseries, and golf courses have benefited greatly from the advice and education provided by the MILs, since they provide an economical way of promoting and providing water conservation. In addition to providing recommendations on irrigation system improvements, some MIL’s also provide valuable assistance to farmers by identifying water quality improvement opportunities available through Best Management Practices (BMPs).

Since 2004 these MILs have done over 5,300 evaluations on more than 92,000 acres of land, have saved over 5.4 billion gallons of water a year, and could save over 10.8 billion gallons 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.