Florida's increasing population strains water supply

 Florida’s increasing population could strain water supply, according to information shared at the May 14 meeting of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board.

“More than 3 billion gallons of water are used every day in Central and South Florida by 9.4 million residents and millions of visitors,” explained Stacey Payseno of the SFWMD. “In the next 20 years, the population is projected to increase to over 11 million. The corresponding  water demand will increase by over 350 million gallons per day.

“Traditional water sources are insufficient to meet the future demands,” she said. Florida needs alternative water supply (AWS), including treated brackish water, reclaimed water and capturing excess water for later use in Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) wells and reservoirs, she explained.