Florida Water News - Help Save Florida's Water

Orange and Lake counties already have drained
the aquifer and are beginning to panic.
Ocala.com - Ocala,FL,USA Brad Rogers 7/22/2007
Orange and Lake counties already have drained the aquifer and are beginning to panic. Marion County, meanwhile, is quickly seeing its water table fall, too. Come 2013, the water district plans to freeze groundwater withdrawals in these places, and new sources of water will have to be found.
So water managers are suggesting the Lower Ocklawaha River in Marion County is a good place to look first. Their suggestion happens to include a detailed map of a pipeline from the Ocklawaha River in Marion down through Lake to Orange. Allocations are already projected down to the decimal point, and price projections show the Ocklawaha the cheapest of four sites water managers studied.
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ORLANDO - Almost 40 thirsty utilities from Central Florida met in Orlando on Wednesday with state water agencies to decide on future water sources and how to divvy up the supply.

And on top of their list of what to siphon was the Ocklawaha River in Marion County.

The meeting was the latest in a series which began about two years ago to allow the St. Johns Water Management District, other regional state water agencies and Central Florida utilities to consider various water sources, other than groundwater, they will need to satisfy their growing populations.

While the St. Johns water district and utilities considered potential water extraction plans hypothetical until Wednesday, the water agency's consultant Jerry Salsano said, "This is the very first step in going beyond the concept point."

The state's search for alternative water sources became more intense last year when the St. Johns River, South Florida and Southwest Florida water management districts decided water allocation levels would not increase after 2013 for municipalities making up the Central Florida Coordination Area, which includes areas of Brevard County, southern Lake County and all of Polk, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

And while Marion County isn't included on the list, its above-ground water is fair game. Only groundwater sources enjoy protections under Florida's local sources first laws.

Wednesday at the Orlando Utilities Commission, utilities considered various water plans including water plants along the St. Johns River in Seminole County, desalination plants in Flagler County and withdrawing water at the lower Ocklawaha River to serve Orange and Lake counties.

Of the 38 utilities at the meeting, 25 signed up to help pay to study the feasibility of dipping into the Ocklawaha River at State Road 40. Signing to help pay for the study signals their interest in wanting some of the river's water when it gets to the withdrawal stage.

"Eventually it's going to get tapped," said Troy Kuphal, Marion County's water resources manager, who was also at the Orlando meeting.

The only question now is who will tap the river, which gets much of its water from the Silver River. About 900 million gallons per day flow down the river when there are no droughts.

The St. Johns water district is now studying the river's minimal flow level. That is the point at which the river's environment and wildlife would be damaged if flows were lower. The water agency is doing the same for the Withlacoochee River, where another water plant is being considered, although outside Marion County. The results of both studies are due in 2009.

Bill Dunn, a St. Johns water district consultant, said at the Orlando meeting he estimated utilities could safely withdraw as much as 108 million gallons per day from the Ocklawaha without harm to the river.

But Kuphal said when the 2009 study is completed, state officials will conclude that far less water will be available because Marion County's water use in the area would probably decrease the river's flows.

Ray Sharp, Leesburg's public works director, was one of the municipal representatives signing up to help look at the Ocklawaha as his next water source.

Leesburg's public works has about 50,000 customers and is affected by the water districts' 2013 groundwater pumping deadline.

"What we know is that the water beneath us can't sustain our growing population," Sharp said. "Three years ago we determined we didn't have an additional water supply in Lake County."

So Leesburg's only alternative was to stretch its water by conservation and looking beyond its borders.

That led them, like other utilities, to the Ocklawaha.

"It's a very high quality water," he said during a break in the meeting. "There's minimal treatment cost for it. It really is the aquifer."

The estimated cost of withdrawal and transporting the river's water south is $462 million.

And instead of fighting with Marion County over the water and the cost of withdrawal, Sharp suggests cooperation.

"That way no one gets hammered really bad," he said.

At meeting on water sources, many eyes on the Ocklawaha

Twenty-five Central Florida utilities sign on to fund study on tapping river.
BY FRED HIERS
STAR-BANNER

At meeting on water sources, many eyes on the Ocklawaha

Twenty-five Central Florida utilities sign on to fund study on tapping river. BY FRED HIERS STAR-BANNER

Twenty-five Central Florida utilities sign on to fund study on tapping river.
BY FRED HIERS
STAR-BANNER