FLORIDA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS - 100 YEARS OF WATER
Looking at Water from a Century Ago to the Next 100 Years
Last week I attended a seminar by the Young Professionals of the American Water Works Association, Florida Section--A Century of Water: Lessons from the Past, Vision for the Next 100 Years.
The sessions were not only interesting, but thought provoking, so I wanted to recap and share some of the main points I believe are important.
100 Years of Hialeah and the Future of Water
The presentation started with a history the Hialeah Water Treatment Plant that was placed in service in 1924 and the wells that were permitted to supply the water. This water plant is still active and looks as beautiful today.
From there, Ms. Walsh reviewed the various permits and modifications for the Hialeah water system over the years. Permits for water treatment systems are based on a number of factors, which include water sources, treatment methods, water usage and how much will be needed.
Populations projections, historical and projected water usage and other factor s are modeled to determine
- permitted water withdrawals
- estimated construction needs for upgraded or new facilities
- new water sources
- budgets and timelines for all of the above.
What they found was that projections for water use over the years were much higher than the actual usage, possibly due to stricter conservation rules. Many projects were modified due to new water sources and treatment technologies. These modifications resulted in cost savings and improved efficiency.
The Takeaway: Even if you have excellent planning, data collection, modeling, and forecasting it's not possible to accurately predict the future! You can only do your best. The next 100 years will see many changes in regulations, population, technology, and more.
100 Days of Severe Drought
This year, Hillsborough County, along with may other areas in Florida have been in drought conditions, causing Phase II Severe or Phase III Extreme Water Shortages.
The presentation reviewed Florida's five Water Management Districts, who are responsible for determining water shortage phases and their restrictions.
Mr. Halcyon explained the challenges of informing the public, and getting people to comply with the restrictions. Much success was accomplished through public education versus enforcement actions.
Activities included visiting classrooms and public presentations. Many homeowners did not realize that approximately 50% of their water use was for lawn irrigation. With Florida residents seemingly surrounded by water--oceans, lakes, and rivers--it was difficult to imagine we had a shortage.
Graphical representations were used to explain that while it looks like water is everywhere, only a small amount is acceptable for drinking water.
The Takeaway: Most people want to protect our precious waters. Education and assistance is a better option than punishment to promote compliance with restrictions .
Next 100 Years: Designing Water Systems for Future Generations
While the physical infrastructure for the projects was described (wells, pumps, pipelines, etc), the institutional infrastructure was highlighted. One of the issues was a 100-year water supply agreement with 3 cities.
With water projects, especially large ones, there are always multiple governments, agencies, regulators and communities involved. In many cases, multiple stakeholders must create agreements. Legislation may need to be passed. The project requires cooperation and collaboration, sometimes among competing interests. And several regulatory agencies may need to approve the final project and issue permits.
The Takeaway: Engineering the physical infrastructure is not the only challenge when it comes to water projects. A framework for collaboration is just as important for the success of the project.
Regulations 100 Years from Now
New regulations are added every year, usually requiring analytical tests for additional contaminants. In the past, most contaminants were tested for and reported in parts per million. Later, as technology allowed, we were able to test parameters in parts per billion.
Now, water permits require testing for many contaminants in parts per trillion. In many cases, the capability of the analytical technology is not able to measure as low as the permit limits. In these cases, treatment plants must show that the contaminant is below detection limits to be in compliance.
Here are some of the additional testing requirements in the near term:
The Takeaway: New regulations will continue to be added. Permit limits will continue to become stricter and test the limits of analytical capability. But who knows, maybe every home will have it's own water/wastewater system with robots to complete the tests and automatic upgrades for new rules! (Ms. Loucraft's AI assisted slide):
Our Florida Young Professionals
Our Young Professionals were very impressive! They presented their unique perspectives on various aspects of the water industry. I believe our precious Florida water is in good hands for the future.
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