Regional Irrigation Distribution System (RIDS) Background
The 2000 Lower West Coast Regional Water Supply Plan concluded that historically used sources of water would not be sufficient to meet the projected irrigation needs of the urban coastal areas of the Lower West Coast (LWC) Region. The plan recommended determining the feasibility of constructing and operating a regional irrigation distribution system to satisfy future demands for irrigation water in the urban areas of Lee and Collier counties. The system would make irrigation water available for local supply entities and utilities to withdraw from for distribution.
The construction and operation of a regional irrigation distribution system (RIDS) will enable water to be transferred from areas of surplus to areas of deficit to fulfill urban irrigation needs. This system could conserve the fresh ground water sources, while maximizing the use of reclaimed water that would have otherwise been discharged to surface water or deep well injected and lost from the inventory. Storage, primarily through ASR, is a key component to bridge the gap between the seasonal and geographic relationships of available water supplies and demands. The RIDS makes irrigation water available for local supply entities/utilities to withdraw from for distribution to meet their individual needs.
A region wide evaluation or feasibility study of a Regional Irrigation Distribution System (RIDS) was completed in November 2002. This evaluation's preliminary findings indicated a RIDS had great potential for this area, and recommended a sub-regional analysis and preliminary design be conducted to refine the cost information, and facility location for implementation of the system.
A sub regional analysis and pre design of the RIDS at the local level scale was conducted and completed in December 2004. To achieve this goal and move towards implementation, it was necessary to sub-divide the RIDS study area into sub-regions. The geographical sub-regions are:
Collier / Naples / Marco Island / Bonita Springs
Cape Coral / Waterway Estates / North Ft. Myers
Ft. Myers Central / Ft. Myers South / Gateway / Lehigh Acres / Fiesta Village / Ft. Myers Beach / Ft. Myers Beach / Lee County
The sub regional analysis provided cost estimates, supply and demand analysis, and construction schedule for the RIDS projects. The RIDS implementation began in October 2005 with the District funding $500,000. The following are the first 4 RIDS projects:
Collier County ASR Pilot Project Design
Collier County North-South Reclaimed Water Interconnect
City of Ft. Myers Central Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion Design
City of Ft. Myers Interconnect - Central / South AWWTF
Starting in fiscal year 2006 RIDS is funded through the Alternative Water Supply (AWS) program. The RIDS projects are managed by local governments and utilities. The role of the District is limited to intergovernmental coordination, and partial funding through the AWS funding program. Construction of RIDS projects are to be completed in year 2020.
Water Supply Plans
Lower West Coast
