The Need to Develop New Water Sources

Florida’s water story is continually evolving. Before 1980, the state relied mostly on surface water sources — lakes, rivers, and streams — for fresh water. In the 1980s, there was a shift to groundwater, which is now Florida’s largest source of freshwater. 

However, as the growing demand puts increasing pressure on aquifers, Florida must explore alternatives such as rainwater harvesting, water reuse, and desalination. Diversifying water sources doesn’t just supplement traditional supplies; it also builds resilience. With multiple sources, Florida’s water supply system becomes more robust, adaptable to drought, and better equipped to protect natural ecosystems. 

Florida’s population is booming and so is its thirst for water. Projections show that between 2020 and 2040, the state’s population will grow by 24% (5.1 million people), bringing the population to 26.7 million. This growth is expected to drive up water demand by 14%, from 6,334 million gallons per day in 2020 to 7,218 million gallons per day by 2040.

Exploring Alternative Water Supplies

A significant shift in water use is also underway. By 2020, public supply, water provided by utilities for residential and commercial uses, surpassed agriculture as the largest water consumer. By 2040, public supply demands are expected to rise by 24% and account for 43% of total water use. In contrast, the water needs of agriculture are expected to grow by just 1% over the same period. This puts public supply growth in the spotlight and highlights the need for conservation and innovative solutions to ensure water security.

Groundwater has been Florida’s main resource, but it’s not a permanent solution. Overreliance on this source poses significant environmental risks, including saltwater intrusion, reduced spring flows, lower lake levels, and wetlands loss. To prevent these impacts, Florida must diversify its water portfolio.

Alternative water supplies are sources that complement or replace groundwater and surface water sources. These include: 

Reclaimed water: Often referred to as recycled water or water reuse, this is water that has undergone advanced treatment to make it safe for reuse in nonpotable applications such as irrigation of crops, landscape watering, and industrial processes. Recycling water for reuse preserves drinking water supplies reduces wastewater discharge into waterways, and helps recharge aquifers. 

Florida boasts 380 water reuse systems that supply more than 900 million gallons daily of recycled water, irrigating more than 6,000 acres of food crops, 500 golf courses, 1,000 school fields, and 500,000 homes, and used for industrial applications such as power plants and cooling towers. Florida has been a leader in water reuse, with the potential to transform waste into a valuable resource, but there is room for expansion.

Rainwater and stormwater: These can be harvested, stored, and used for nonpotable applications such as irrigation landscapes, filling swimming pools and ponds, washing vehicles, and flushing toilets. They can also replenish wetlands and other freshwater systems or recharge aquifers, boosting freshwater supplies. 

Seawater and brackish groundwater desalination: Desalination transforms salty water into fresh. While different methods can be used, reverse osmosis, a membrane-based technology, is the most widely used in Florida. This process forces salty water through a semipermeable membrane, filtering out salt and creating a brine byproduct that must be managed responsibly to avoid harming the environment.

Desalination is not limited to coastal regions; it can be used to treat brackish groundwater in inland aquifers. In 2023 in South Florida alone, there were 38 brackish desalination plants and two seawater desalination facilities producing 292 million gallons of drinking water per day. 

Polk County in central Florida is the state’s fastest-growing county. The population has surged from 600,000 in 2008 to 800,000 in 2022, increasing the demand for water and forcing them to turn to brackish groundwater desalination as an alternative water supply. 

While the cost of desalination is often considered too high to develop and operate, a public-private partnership can help overcome this barrier. By partnering with a professional water company that offers build-own-operate or build-own-operate-transfer financing options, municipalities can get a state-of-the-art desalination plant without incurring any upfront costs or ongoing operating costs. A team of water experts operates the plant, and municipalities pay only for the volume of water supplied.

Florida’s Progress in Alternative Water Use

Florida has made significant strides in adopting alternative water supplies:

• The state leads the nation in water reuse with 511 million gallons per day of reclaimed water made available through projects completed to date, and 165 million gallons per day more expected on completion of projects in the pipeline.
• The Tampa Bay area boasts North America’s largest seawater desalination plant.
• More than 140 facilities across the state use desalination technology to treat brackish water, producing 282.1 million gallons per day of potable water, with an additional 107.7 million gallons per day expected on completion of additional projects.
• Surface water and stormwater use is steadily increasing.

Even with these efforts, though, more must be done. Current measures won’t meet the projected 2030 demands. Continued investment in alternative water supplies and aggressive water conservation efforts will be critical to securing Florida’s water future.

A Path Forward

Florida’s water challenges require a forward-thinking approach. By embracing alternative water supplies, conserving existing resources, and fostering innovation, the state can meet its growing demands while protecting the environment that attracts people to the state in the first place. 

Water is life, and in Florida, it’s also a story of resilience and adaptation. The choices made today will shape the state’s future, ensuring clean, reliable water for its people, its economy, and its ecosystems.