Plan calls for building a new reservoir to boost regional water supplies

Surface water is precipitation that does not infiltrate into the ground or return to the atmosphere by transpiration or evaporation. It may be loosely defined as water that stands or flows on the surface of the Earth and is commonly referred to as runoff. The management of surface water is a complex issue, mainly centered in historical precedent and practices, yet as knowledge increases on the unsustainable impacts of these traditional approaches to management, so does the need to challenge the current orthodoxy (see Iain White in www.eoearth.org). 

As the year draws to an end, it is time to look at different ways in which surface water management techniques play into our daily lives.  Depending upon where you live, how your municipality handles its surface water is crucial to the viability and strength of the area.  It can, or may someday prove to be, a matter of survival for some areas including many in Florida, my home state. 

Below are links to the top 10 information sources, municipalities and organizations that we have discovered that are exploring this crucial issue in America.  The state of Washington's coastal regions have surface water management as a top priority, as do several counties in South Florida.

1) http://www.eoearth.org/article/Surface_water_management - An essential overview, that also discusses the development and history of surface water management programs in the US.

2) http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/swim.htm - In the late 1980’s, it was determined that Florida had to do more to protect and restore its priceless surface waters. While "point" sources--end-of-pipe sewage and industrial wastes--were being controlled, "nonpoint" source pollutants that enter water bodies in less direct ways were still a major concern. In 1987, the Florida Legislature created the Surface Water Improvement and Management program (SWIM) as one mechanism to address these nonpoint pollution sources. 

3) http://www.broward.org/Regulation/Engineering/Pages/SurfaceWaterManagement.aspx - Broward County's surface water managment program's mission is to protect the water resources of the County and to protect property from flooding through responsible licensing and encouraging effective uses of their water resources.

4) http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/environment/water/sw-main.aspx - Under Clean Water Act regulations, local governments in the Puget Sound Basin and those subject to the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Program are required to have stormwater management programs. The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) administers the federal NPDES program in the state.

5) http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/pwu/about/water.htm - Pierce County Public Works and Utilies is responsible for surface water management in unincorporated Pierce County, WA.  In 1988, the Pierce County Council established the Surface Water Management (SWM) Utility as a division of the Public Works and Utilities Department.

6) http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wlr/surface-water-mgt-fee.aspx - King County is required to provide surface water management services by state and federal law. The surface water management program identifies, prevents and manages the impacts of development on water runoff like flooding, erosion, pollution, and low stream flows. 

7) http://www.minneapolismn.gov/stormwater/ - This site is an excellent resource and has 3 main purposes: 

• To increase awareness of stormwater management and surface water quality issues
• To provide information about City of Minneapolis programs and operations that will improve surface water quality
• To encourage community involvement and participation in watershed stewardship

8) http://www.surfacewater.info/ - The Surface Water Management (SWM) Division of Snohomish County Public Works provides a comprehensive approach to managing surface water.

9) http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/CityServices/PublicWorks/SurfaceWaterManagement.ashx?p=1292 - Surface Water Management staff work to protect and restore the physical, chemical and biotic integrity of surface water through the promotion of ecologically sound land use practices, reduction and elimination of storm water impacts, the assurance of a high performance level from current and future storm water control systems, and education and outreach opportunities to foster healthy watershed stewardship.

10) Surface Water Treatment Facility in Fresno, CA - 

Fresno’s first Surface Water Treatment Facility (SWTF) began delivering water June 14, 2004, and is the result of over a decade of planning on a local and regional scale. This facility provides customers with water that is treated to drinking water standards, and also offers a number of other advantages, including increased water pressure and enhanced reliability.

A second surface water treatment facility is planned in southeast Fresno to meet demands anticipated by the redirection of growth implicit in the 2025 General Plan. This ensures a healthy, fresh and safe water supply for years to come.

In case you missed it, please see South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Chairman Joe Collins’ op-ed,  “Water Management Districts: Intact, on Task and Spending Wisely.”

November 30, 2011 

Water Management Districts: Intact, on Task and Spending Wisely

Myths and misinformation continue to swirl around Florida’s water management districts and their ability to do their job with lower revenues and smaller organizations. In South Florida, unfounded concerns have been expressed about the future of Evergladesrestoration, the capacity of our District scientists and the erosion of our regulatory authority. The facts can alleviate these unwarranted fears.

Fact 1. The establishment of Florida’s five water management districts is firmly rooted in statute. In Florida, water is a public resource. The districts were specifically created by the Water Resources Act in 1972 to manage and protect the state’s waters on behalf of our citizens. For four decades we have fulfilled our responsibilities of managing water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems in the public interest through a solid regulatory framework, governing boards appointed by the Governor and state oversight through the Department of Environmental Protection. This framework has not changed.

Fact 2. The South Florida Water Management District is indeed building a leaner, more efficient agency by eliminating unnecessary expenses and getting back to its core mission. In doing so, we are saving South Floridians $128 million through a 30-percent tax reduction, the majority of which was realized by cutting overhead and administrative costs. This is welcomed news for taxpayers who expect cost-effective services, government transparency and accountability in spending.  

Fact 3. The District continues to be a dynamic agency, providing more than 1,600 jobs across the region. Close to half of these jobs are dedicated to operating South Florida’s massive flood control system. To support water resource protection and environmental restoration, more than 25 percent of our workforce holds Ph.D. or Master degrees, and we have more than 150 certified professional engineers and geologists on staff. This highly qualified, capable and competent workforce is focused on efficiently achieving the agency’s water management responsibilities.

Fact 4. The District’s $576.1 million budget is being used to deliver tangible, meaningful results. For fiscal year 2012, more than 70 percent of the budget will go toward flood control and restoring the South Florida ecosystem. With a combined investment of more than $850 million in 2011 and 2012, we will be completing construction on a half dozen restoration projects. And over the next five years, the District will use financial reserves to invest another $350 million toward developing and protecting the water resources of this state and to improving the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds.

Fact 5. Our appointed Governing Board is highly engaged and actively guiding the agency’s work. Representing diverse South Florida interests, these volunteers have oversight of District activities and provide policy direction on all issues, including regulatory functions. The District continues to scrutinize permit applications to ensure water resource protection, and we share with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection the objective of improved statewide consistency while recognizing our regional diversity. There is no effort to weaken our standards.

These facts do not represent the actions of a disabled water management district. Just the opposite. They are the actions of a government agency true to its founding principles, clearly focused on its mission, streamlined in its internal operations and delivering efficient and cost-effective water resource management.

Joe Collins, Chairman

South Florida Water Management District Governing Board