Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today in support of S. 968, the Alternative Water Sources Act of 1999.
The Problem
Nationwide, an increasing amount of water is in demand to provide for urban development, agriculture, and environmental needs. Although current water supplies are sufficient in some states, in many high growth areas such as Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, traditional sources of water supply are no longer adequate to meet increasing demands. Groundwater pumping has caused lowered aquifer levels and resulted in the degradation of water quality and the environment. Increased use of surface water has resulted in reduced flows in streams and rivers. In Florida, groundwater levels have declined as much as 150 feet and coastal areas have experienced salt water intrusion into the aquifer. New York has experienced declines in aquifer levels and low flows in streams. Droughts occasionally cause inadequate water supply for New York City. In New Jersey, water supply coming from surface water, which supplies most of northern New Jersey, is only adequate when precipitation is greater than average. And, in Virginia, water supplies in southern Virginia are not sufficient to meet projected future demands. Groundwater withdrawals have caused declines of up to 200 feet in some areas. If current trends continue, water demand can be expected to exceed supply throughout the midwest and along the eastern seaboard by the year 2020 causing severe economic and environmental impacts.
The Solution
Non-traditional or alternative water sources are needed to meet growing needs while ensuring environmental protection. An alternative sources project is defined as a project designed to provide municipal, industrial, or agricultural water supplies in an environmentally sustainable manner by conserving, managing , treating, reclaiming or reusing water or wastewater. Cost-share funding is needed in states not eligible for assistance through the Department of the Interior/Bureau of Reclamation to demonstrate methods for developing alternative water supplies which conserve, manage, reclaim, reuse, and de-salt water. The funding should be targeted to states with demonstrated needs, the ability to cost-share, and projects which alleviate current or projected economic and environmental impacts. S. 968 would not use existing funds from the Bureau of Reclamation. Rather, it would provide additional, much-needed money for alternative water supplies in those eastern states not presently eligible for grants under any federal assistance program.
Economic and Environmental Benefits
Examples of the economic and environmental benefits of alternative water supply technology:
-- Safeguards economic vitality and allows the opportunity to compete nationally for business development
-- Ensures that water related industries such as tourism, commercial fisheries, and recreational sports are not economically impacted
-- Provides incentives for innovative and environmentally sound water supply projects that can serve as national demonstration projects
-- Continues affordable water supplies for all reasonable and beneficial uses
-- Alleviates over-pumping of groundwater
-- Preserves minimum flows and levels of surface waters
-- Prevents further saltwater intrusion along our coastlines
-- Protects valuable ecosystems and avoids damage to wetlands
-- Promotes long-range, comprehensive planning for water resource development
Recommended Congressional Action
The Congress should authorize a program in the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (S. 968) to make grants to all eligible agencies with responsibility for water resource development in states not eligible for assistance through the Bureau of Reclamation. The grants would be used for the purpose of maximizing available water supplies and protecting the environment through the development of alternative water sources.
The Florida Water Story
Water supply has emerged as a critical issue for Florida. Between 1995 and 1996, Florida added 260,000 new residents -- the equivalent of four cities the size of Daytona Beach. Population growth necessarily leads to increased water supply needs. Florida's challenge is to ensure adequate future water supplies for the growing population as well as industry and agriculture while providing for natural systems.
Ecosystems in Florida have global significance. The Florida Everglades has been recognized internationally. The Florida Keys have been designated as one of the 12 "Last Great Places" in the world by the Nature Conservancy. Silver Springs is one of the largest first-magnitude springs in the world. Florida is number one in the nation for number of lakes and a close second to Alaska in miles of coastline. Impacts from projected water supply withdrawals will significantly impact these vital resources. Visible impacts have already occurred in some areas.
Needs are Growing
From 1980 to 1995, Florida's public water supply increased 43 percent, more than double the national average of 16 percent. Florida's water resources are managed by five regional Water Management Districts (WMDs) defined by major river basin hydrology. The WMDs have assessed water supply needs and sources through the year 2020. Based on scientific modeling, many of the high growth areas of the state have been designated as Water Resource Caution Areas, areas where current or projected withdrawals are likely to impact natural systems such as wetlands and surface waters, increase saltwater intrusion, reduce groundwater levels and spring flows, and create competition among existing users.
Existing Sources are Limited
Florida's aquifers provide most of the existing public supply and a large part of the agricultural supplies in the state through pumping of groundwater. This source is of good quality, economical, and highly reliable. However, other sources, are needed for the state to recover from existing problems and avoid projected problems identified by the WMDs. Water sources being considered and implemented include additional water conservation, increased reuse, reclaimed water (highly treated waste water), better managed existing sources, and new sources such as aquifer storage and recovery, surface water, desalinization of brackish ground water and sea water, and artificial recharge. Florida can be the national leader in developing innovative solutions to the nation's water supply needs.
Efforts are Underway
The State of Florida through its Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and its five water management districts has implemented steps to address the state's water supply needs. Each district has completed a District-Wide Water Assessment which evaluates projected demands, makes water use projections to the year 2020 and compares these demands to the availability of water sources over the twenty-year planning period. In those areas where demand is expected to exceed available water supply before 2020, a Regional Water Supply Plan must be developed subsequently. This information is reflected in an annual report produced by the DEP and in the comprehensive Florida Water Plan.
Water management districts are required by statute to allocate a portion of their yearly budget to the development of alternative water supply projects. Since 1994, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has committed $236 million to fund projects totaling $494 million in overall cost. This is in partnership with local governments. Projects such as these will continue to need funding through federal, state, regional and local partnerships so that new water sources can be developed that are financially, technically and environmentally feasible.
Since 1995, the State of Florida has received approximately $50 million from the federal government in earmarked grants to assist with the development of important projects statewide. We are very grateful for this assistance. The list of projects these funds have enabled us to begin developing is attached. There is a much longer list of projects we need to build if we are to keep pace with Florida's anticipated growth through the year 2020. The Alternative Water Sources Act recognizes the importance of these projects and others like them and provides a framework for their development in partnership with the federal government. It is a much-needed program and I hope you will support its passage.
Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions you might have.
Attachments:
Map of High Growth Eastern States
Chart of Projected Population (Eastern States)
Projects Under Development
Southwest Florida Water Management District
The Peace River Option (Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto Counties): A major expansion of a surface water potable supply. The capacity of the Peace River facility to serve its Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority member governments would be increased from 12 to 18 MGD by expanding the treatment facility, constructing 14 aquifer storage and recover (ASR) wells to provide off-stream storage and an 80-mile transmission pipeline.
Agricultural Reuse Supply (Manatee County): A combination storm water and reclaimed water supply project. UP to 29 MGD of groundwater will be offset by connecting a network of wastewater treatment and storm water storage facilities, then constructing a transmission pipeline to deliver water from these facilities to large self-supplied agricultural interests in the Eastern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area - Most Impacted Area.
Manasota Basin Regional Reuse System (Manatee and Sarasota Counties): Interconnection and regionalization of city and county reuse systems to supply reclaimed water to large agricultural, industrial, and recreational water users. Initially, an additional 8.8 MGD of reclaimed water will be available to offset ground water withdrawals. Innovative technology such as aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) will provide water quality and flood control benefits.
Seawater Desalination (Tampa Bay Area): Design and construction of a 35-50 MGD seawater desalination facility to provide water to the regional system of the West Coast Regional Water Supply Authority. Included in the overall project is the seawater desalination plant, as well as infrastructure for treatment, pumping, storage, and transmission of water.
Enhanced Surface Water System (Hillsborough County): Will harvest and store excess surface water during times of high stream flow. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technology will be explored as a method to economically store large volumes of seasonal flows to optimize the regional water supply system and avoid impacts of groundwater withdrawals. Reclaimed water will also be explored as an additional source of water.
Note: The previous three projects are part of the Tampa Bay Partnership Plan, a cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Tampa Bay Water to develop new water supply for the Tampa Bay Area through the use of
alternative sources such as reuse, ASR technology, demand management, desalination, and the harvest and storage of excess surface waters during times of high stream flow. Included in this project is construction of infrastructure for treatment, pumping, storage and transmission of water. The overall cost estimate is $183 million.
St. Johns River Water Management District
Alternative Water Supply Development in East and Central Florida (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia Counties): Surface and brackish groundwater development including treatment storage, artificial recharge, wetland mitigation and avoidance of impacts related to groundwater withdrawals, and potable and reclaimed water system interconnections for the purpose of assuring dependable public water supplies through cooperative development of a combination of alternative water supply sources. The initial phase of implementation will include several demonstration projects.
East Palatka Water, Wastewater and Reuse Project (unincorporated Putnam County): Develop and treat a dependable source of potable water supply, prevent ground and surface water pollution, and provide reuse of reclaimed water.
City of Gainesville Reclaimed Water System Development (Alachua County): Construction of improvements to two wastewater treatment facilities and infrastructure necessary to supply reclaimed water to several current major users of groundwater for irrigation directly replacing current groundwater withdrawals.
Alternative Water Supply Development in Northeast Florida (Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Flagler Counties): Surface and brackish groundwater development including treatment and storage, wetland mitigation and avoidance of impacts related to groundwater withdrawals, and potable and reclaimed water system interconnections for the purpose of assuring dependable public water supplies through cooperative development of a combination of alternative water supply sources and reduction of point source discharges into the St. Johns River.
Northwest Florida Water Management District
Regional Alternative Water Supply (Santa Rosa County): Design and construction of a well field, which would utilize an alternative groundwater supply from the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer, to provide water supply. This well field would form the basis of a regional system designed to meet the anticipated water needs of local governments.
South Florida Water Management District
Central and Northern Palm Beach Water Management Initiative (palm Beach County): Will capture and conserve excess surface water as an alternative source for meeting present and future urban water supply demands. The project will include construction of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, canal and levee improvements, pumping stations, treatment and other water control facilities. Implementation will recharge coastal aquifers and well fields, avoid degradation of estuarine systems and rehydrate environmentally sensitive wetlands.