06/18/2026
"Because of this seemingly endless supply of water, we get cocky. We keep the tap on while we brush our teeth, which, if you’re brushing correctly, is about two minutes of water going down the drain. We take our time in the shower, especially if you are like the average person who makes shower time their own personal concert, and we flush and flush and flush. Not to mention if you are one of those people who dedicate an entire load of laundry to three pairs of socks and a stale towel. If you truly cared about your water usage, you’d do laundry once your dirty hamper is overflowing and you can’t shut your closet door anymore.
And maybe it’s because of the things we’ve listed, or maybe there's a secret fifth option that explains why the total water (potable and reclaimed) consumed by JEA customers in calendar year 2025 was 47,021,857 Kgals (kilogallons, which is 1,000 gallons).
It’s been a while since we’ve run this story, calling out Jacksonville’s biggest guzzlers of our vital and diminishing water resources. In fact, the last time we knocked on the doors of those using seemingly all of our water was back in 2022. Call it boredom, call it a public service, call it whatever you like — it was well past time we hit up JEA for a public records request for the top 20 residential and commercial accounts with the highest water usage. The findings were shocking. The excuses? Entirely predictable. Let’s get into it."
Water Hogs
Words by Carmen Macri and Ambar Ramirez
https://folioweekly.com/2026/06/18/water-hogs-2/
