WATER
CONSERVATION
Why is it important to conserve
water?
Where Our Water Comes
From
| Have
you ever thought about where your
water comes from? Seminole County’s
drinking water is pumped from groundwater.
Groundwater is the underground water
found in the spaces between soil
particles and rocks and in cracks
of the bedrock. There are two main
layers of groundwater beneath us,
the surficial aquifer and the Floridan
Aquifer. Less than 1% of the water
people use comes from the surficial
aquifer. |
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to view larger picture
|
Seminole County
has 31 wells that are drilled between 400
and 1000 feet down into the Floridan Aquifer.
The Floridan Aquifer provides high quality
water that requires little treatment. This
keeps your water bill low.
The fresh water
in the Floridan Aquifer started accumulating
during the last Ice Age. The water you are
drinking may be up to 26,000 years old! The
aquifer is constantly being replenished by
water from rainfall and lakes seeping into
the ground. In other areas, groundwater discharges
into springs and rivers. This is all part
of the Water
Cycle. It also discharges
into our wells where it is pumped through
the distribution system to your house.
There are over
1000 permitted wells in Seminole County.
This number does not include small private
wells for homes, golf courses, agriculture,
livestock watering, etc. that are too small
to be permitted.
The populations
of both Florida and Seminole
County continue to grow rapidly. More
people means more demand for water.
Will we start
pulling more water out of the Floridan Aquifer
than nature is putting in? What would happen?
Will we run out of water?
The Floridan Aquifer
won’t run out of water. In some areas it
is 2,000 feet deep. But we have a realistic
probability of impacting the aquifer, and
impacting those who depend on the aquifer.
The Dangers of Taking
Too Much Water
Impacts
to Lakes, Springs, and Wetlands
Increased groundwater withdrawals could impact the lakes, springs, and wetlands.
These valuable natural resources depend on the groundwater. Lake levels could
drop, spring flow could slow or stop, and wetlands could recede.
Who
depends on lakes, springs, and wetlands?
-
Boaters
- Sailors
- Water skiers
- Wind surfers
- Campers
- Fishermen
- Hunters
- Birdwatchers
- Nature lovers
- Photographers
- Snorkelers
and scuba divers
- People with
waterfront property
- Children
- Picnickers
- Hikers
- Tourism companies
- Water sports
businesses
Are you on this
list?
There are countless plants
and animals that depend on lakes, wetlands,
and springs; from amoebas to alligators,
from cinnamon ferns to cypress trees.
What
special Florida mammal is dependent on springs? The
manatee won’t be able to survive without
spring water to stay warm in the winter.
What else could
happen if we pull out more groundwater than
nature is putting in?
Sinkholes
The frequency of sinkhole development could increase. Sinkhole formation is
a natural occurrence, but when heavy withdrawals from groundwater remove
water from underground caverns, sinkholes are more likely to form.
Saltwater
Intrusion
A layer
of salty groundwater underlies the fresh groundwater
in the Floridan Aquifer. When the fresh groundwater
is pumped out at too high a rate, the salty
groundwater will get drawn up toward the wells.
If we withdraw too much fresh water, the aquifer
becomes polluted with salt water. We can’t
drink salt water. This saltwater
intrusion is irreversible except on a geologic
timescale. The salt water level is over 2,000
feet deep in some areas of the county, but
is as little as 200 feet deep near the St.
Johns River.
Decreased
Water Quality
The
groundwater from Seminole County wells is high
quality and requires little treatment. Saltwater
intrusion is only one example of how water
quality and quantity would degrade. If we overuse
the aquifer, we would eventually end up withdrawing
lower quality water that would require additional
treatment. Construction and maintenance of
new water treatment facilities and the cost
of chemicals would show up on your utility
bill as a significant increase in the cost
of water.
Alternative
Water Source
Seminole County is fortunate to have a large and reliable alternative water
source in the St. Johns River and Lake Monroe. The down side is that treatment
of surface water to meet drinking water standards is expensive. One cost estimate
puts delivery of treated surface water at $2.30 per thousand gallons, a substantial
increase to your water bill.
Impacts
to Our Valuable Natural Resources
Property
Damage from Sinkholes
Degraded
Groundwater Quality
Expensive
Water Bills
Is there
an alternative????
YES!!
Water conservation
is the easiest and most inexpensive way to
address water shortages. Water conservation
can be as simple as developing the habit
of using a little less every time you use
water. If we each save a little, we all save
a lot. Our Water Conservation web pages are
packed with water saving ideas.
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