A Need for Bold Leadership on Groundwater Protection
Past water wars were the result of years of overpumping groundwater supplies in Pasco County and distributing the bounty to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. In 2001, the Cato Institute report stated: "The policy politics of water management in Florida over the last several years has been contentious and driven by indecision, procrastination, and short-term fixes." The last battle front in the water wars will be about the reuse, growth management, and protection of our groundwater resources.
Reuse of Wastewater
The Situation
Bartlett once said "The bad news is that the only water left to drink will be recycled sewage .The good news isthat there won't be enough to go around." Today, the good news is that there is plenty of treated wastewater to recharge our groundwater supplies; the bad news is that we are pumping out water faster than we can put it back in. As the demand of domestic, industrial, mining, agricultural, recreational, and irrigation water use increases and reuse does not keep pace, the result of so many consumptive uses put a strain on our groundwater resources and the recharge areas.
Citrus County homes and businesses can generate about 6.8 million gallons of wastewater every day (MGD) from 113 domestic and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. In 2005, Citrus County ranked 35th in the state for reuse and 26.57 GPD/person is reused in the county Eight treatment plants have the capacity for 5.33 MGD with a reuse flow of 3.43 MGD and wastewater is treated to varying degrees (high level to basic disinfection). If we are to truly "reclaim" wastewater for uses that involve public exposure, the "reclaimed" wastewater must first be treated at a higher level to remove pollutants that endanger public health.
The Resolution
In the rush to make "reuse" of wastewater a priority, the county must avoid quick fixes that give only the minimal consideration to human health. Our existing reuse laws should be reformed to ensure people are not exposed to inadequate treated wastewater or the groundwater contamination is minimal. All basic disinfection treatment should be upgraded to high level in areas where the aquifer is near the surface or in a karst environment. If this not possible, a centralized treatment system is required to protect human health as well as wildlife habitats.
Growth Management
The Situation
There are direct links existing between impacts to our groundwater and local land use decisions. Land development approvals are typically associated with impacts that are caused by activities necessary to accommodate roads, utilities, schools, parks, and other facilities; such as drainage, stormwater, fill, and consumptive use permits. Locating developments in watersheds and land areas best able to accommodate these impacts, makes it much easier to acquire the necessary permit while protecting our groundwater. Whereas, poor land use decision place development in areas where permitting programs are challenged to protect groundwater, surface waters and other natural resources from runoff, fertilizers, pesticides, habitats alteration, water drawdown's, and floodplain/wetland encroachment.
The Resolution
County policy makers must close the legal gap that exists today between regulatory programs at the state and district levels with enforceable county policies for land use planning and development. Enforcement of these policies is the first step to the overall success to protect the groundwater now and into the future. Without a good enforcement and improvements to our growth management policies, we will still be asking the question, is there enough groundwater to support our growth needs or does the "M" word become reality.
Protecting the Groundwater
The Situation
Water use efficiency policies that could help meet our water needs are often ignored in favor cheap water. Threats to our groundwater include: careless use of fertilizer and pesticides for landscaping and golf courses; other contamination comes from runoff, leaking septic tanks, underground storage tanks, and sinkholes; over development in high aquifer recharge areas; and overpumpage of consumptive use limits. In addition, home irrigation wells in public water service areas add to the burden of overuse. These problems can be divided into those affecting groundwater quality and those affecting groundwater quantity.
The Resolution
Groundwater Quality - we need to establish an "enforceable pollution budget" and as well as Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of pollutants for all waterbodies in our county. Once a budget and loads are established, watershed contamination limits can be set to make our groundwater safer for extended consumptive use. In turn, these limits will guide the planning groups in the issuance of building permits in areas where the watershed is deemed to be at a critical level.
Groundwater Quantity - As before, preserving undeveloped landscapes such as sand hills on the Brookville Ridge and Withlacoochee Forest, buffers around sinkholes throughout the county, restrictions on overpumpage and the control of land use adjacent to the Tsala Apopka Chain of lakes and Withlacoochee River, ensure safe and reliable groundwater recharge. By protecting the natural "reservoirs" that store and recharge our county's surface and groundwater, there could be a change in the current capacity of water supplies. We certainly do not need the exporting of water via water bottling of our spring and groundwater's.
The question is how? First, we must establish and enforce county policies and existing regulations of water that meet optimal recharge conditions for the groundwater that sustain us. Second, growth management through use of pod development in sensitive recharge areas is one of the many actions that the county can take today to preserve our natural resources for the future. Third we must closely look at the impact of bottle water and learn from other counties challenges with the bottle water industry.
Lastly, Citrus County Policy makers need to close the gap that exists today between all regulatory programs, and local land use planning efforts with enforceable ordinances. The good news is there are ways to protect our groundwater resources, the bad news is will we do it?
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