| RFGW |
Regional Floridan Groundwater Monitoring |
Emily Richardson |
WQM |
khanes |
07-JUN-2004 |
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The purpose of the Regional Floridan Groundwater (RFGW) monitoring network is to evaluate water quality and water level trends in the Floridan aquifer system (FAS) for water supply planning and to assist in development of groundwater models within the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD or District) and Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) boundaries. Water supply planners use RFGW monitoring data and groundwater models to determine the long-term viability of the FAS as a water supply source and to track the impacts of increasing water use. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE, 2015) recently used RFGW data to model aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) options as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
The FAS is composed of three aquifers: Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA), Avon Park Permeable Zone (APPZ), and Lower Floridan aquifer (LFA)?that are utilized throughout the District as primary or alternative water sources for public water supply, agriculture, industrial uses, and ASR. There are 58 monitoring wells completed in the UFA, 22 monitoring wells completed in the APPZ and 25 monitoring wells completed in the LFA. Their locations are presented by aquifer in Figures 1 (UFA), Figure 2 (APPZ) and Figure 3 (LFA). As central and southern Florida's population and water demands grow, use of the UFA, APPZ and LFA are projected to increase significantly. Increased use of the FAS will cause water levels to change (through withdrawal and injection), which can impact water quality. The justification for the need for the subject monitoring for each water supply planning region is provided below:
a. The population in the CFWI planning area is projected to increase by 49 percent between 2010 and 2035, and a corresponding water supply deficit of 250 million gallons per day has been predicted as stated in the CFWI Regional Water Supply Plan (November 2015). Within the SFWMD's portion of the CFWI planning area, UFA groundwater levels are expected to drop between 1 and 10 feet over the same 25-year planning horizon. The 2015 CFWI Regional Water Supply Plan concluded that traditional groundwater resources alone cannot meet projected future demands or current permit allocations without resulting in unacceptable impacts to water resources and related natural systems.
b. The 2017 Lower West Coast Water Supply Plan Update (SFWMD, 2017) noted that almost all utilities that withdraw from the UFA have seen degradation in water quality. An additional 51.5 million gallons per day (mgd) of brackish water development has been proposed by utilities in the region over the planning horizon to 2040. This water will be treated using reverse osmosis (RO). The Lower West Coast Water Supply Plan Update recommended identifying FAS monitoring well locations that are critical to long-term monitoring for modeling purposes and continuity of the data set.
c. The 2016 Upper East Coast Water Supply Plan Update (SFWMD, 2016) included results from the East Coast Floridan Model, highlighting an expected 10 to 25 percent increase in total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations in some wells by 2040.
d. The Lower East Coast planning area relies on the UFA as an alternative water source. Given the projected increase in population to 7.5 million people by 2040, the Lower East Coast planning area is anticipated to expand use of the UFA through reverse osmosis treatment and ASR projects. The 2018 Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan Update (SFWMD, 2018) calls for continued long-term water quality and water level data collection and analyses, which will also be used to update the East Coast Floridan Model, which was used to evaluate the FAS as an alternative water supply source.
e. The 2014 Lower Kissimmee Basin Water Supply Plan Update (SFWMD, 2014) discusses concerns about the sustainability of the FAS and calls for continued monitoring of water levels and water quality in the region.
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