In Central Florida, water supply has become a problem. Studies conducted years ago predicted that our dependence on groundwater would surpass sustainable levels by 2013 – thus putting an end to our most inexpensive water supply. On top of that, our water use is predicted to increase by 40 percent over the next 20 years.
In the past, Central Florida utilities maintained independent water supply programs, not fully realizing the effect and impact one program had on its neighbor. In light of the severity of our situation, several Florida government agencies have developed a centralized water-supply strategy to find new ways of meeting the state's demand for freshwater.
This plan is called the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) and includes historically unconventional water-supply options including surface water, sea/brackish water, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, and more. The initiative centralizes the efforts of utilities across 5,000 square miles to develop cooperative water supply alternatives that better share in the costs of new projects, achieve fair and equitable allocations, incorporate technological investment, and support both sustainability and resilience.
Could Desalination Be A Drought-Proof Possibility?
Three states are responsible for a quarter of U.S. water consumption, and each is facing water-supply situations of its own: Florida, Texas, and California. Since the 1970s, California has dipped its toe into ocean desalination but never taken the plunge due to financial and environmental concerns. However, a third consecutive drought year and more efficient desalination technologies have spurred the state into action.
Fifteen desalination projects have been proposed from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay, the first of which is already underway. The state is investing in the largest ocean desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere – one that will provide 50 million gallons of drinking water a day to San Diego County.
Investing in desalination isn't cheap. The California plant is costing around $1 billion, and even with Florida's larger coastline, the initial costs alone make southeast implementation questionable. A 2010 informational report on Florida's Coquina Coast Desalination project found that it would not only require $1 billion in capital costs but increase the annual average water bill from $100 to over $150.
The Dichotomy of Alternative Water Supply Technologies: Effective but Pricy
Future alternative water supply projects will all involve more complicated and expensive technologies, and the projects proposed in the CFWI are no exception. Yet, as someone specializing in water industry funding and master planning, I know that such a program wouldn't exist if the finances to implement these projects weren't already out there.
Viable low-interest financing options like state revolving fund (SRF), rural development, and water management districts loans or grants are available for smaller projects, while future state and federal funding will be needed to implement the more ambitious regional solutions.
If all the projects listed in the CFWI are on track to meet their operational start dates in 2035, we may not only see more communities partnering together but also more investment in unconventional water supply technologies.