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July 18th, 2023
Via CBS12 News, an article on a state report shows Florida may run out of fresh drinking water:
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida might be running out of fresh drinking water. The state’s current fresh water supply is projected to not be able to keep up with how many people are moving to the Sunshine State.According to the National Association of Realtors, 318,855 people moved to Florida in 2022, that’s a 1.9% increase in population.
One city known for its bottled water, Zephyrhills, is growing so fast that in order to make sure it has enough fresh water for everyone it’s putting a pause on all new development for a year.
According to the South Florida Water Management District, there’s no need to worry about the local water supply because there’s a plan in place.
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The regional water supply plan looks 20 years out. According to South Florida Water Management District Water Supply Planning Section Leader, Tom Colios, the plan takes population, agricultural and industrial growth into account along with looking at power generation demands.
“Development of alternative water supply is important to reduce the stress of existing traditional water sources,” said Colios.
The district says it also has alternative water supplies available, like aquifers and recycling water. But they also designate a certain amount of water for each area.
“Water supply plan kind of looks big picture but we do develop a per capita use rate for each utility service area and the population contained within those service areas,” said Colios.
There are things everyone can do to help conserve water, like installing more efficient appliances like washing machines and dishwashers. But Colios also says everyone should be more conscious about their usage.
“Wait for the dishwasher to be full before you run out. Do a full load of laundry, not a partial load, and take shorter showers,” said Colios.
The district says the number one water waste for households is through landscape irrigation.
Each city has ordinances to reduce the amount of water usage to a couple of times a week if needed.
But as of right now, South Florida is doing just fine.