NOAA Awards $300,000 for Collaboration on
Climate Change Effects on Florida Water Utilities
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Understanding the impacts of climate variability is essential for Florida's public water supply utilities, which are among the United States' most vulnerable to sea-level change, storm surges and salt water intrusion into aquifers. Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), that understanding will be improved in the next two years.
NOAA awarded the grant to the Public Water Utilities Climate Impacts Working Group, whose members include the University of Florida Water Institute, Florida State University, three water management districts and six major public water supply utilities including Tampa Bay Water, the wholesale drinking water provider to three cities and three counties in the Tampa Bay region.
Formed in 2010, the working group is devoted to evaluating and assessing the current climate data and models through the perspectives of hydrologic scientists, climate scientists, water resource managers, planners and water suppliers across Florida. Throughout the two-year project, the working group will:
- Identify and evaluate the practical applicability of current climate tools using historical data, nationally available Generation Circulation Model simulations, and regionally downscaled data products.
- Identify appropriate entry points for climate data and model predictions in participants' models and decision making processes, and evaluate the usefulness of these data for minimizing current and future risks associated with climate variability, climate change and sea level rise.
The collaborative development of the NOAA grant proposal was integral in bringing members of the working group together. The grant will allow for the continued collaboration and possible implementation of new industry-relevant tools that have been investigated through Florida's public water suppliers, regulatory communities and academic departments.
Florida's increasing population puts high demand on the public water supply that is already nearing its sustainable yields. As the largest wholesale water utility in the southeastern United States, Tampa Bay Water continually grapples with seasonal water availability issues and periodic droughts, which will likely be exacerbated by climate change and variability conditions. By participating in the working group, Tampa Bay Water will share its knowledge and enhance its data and decision-making tools while collaborating with other regional, national and international utilities, and water management districts.
Tampa Bay Water, as well as the other members of the Public Water Utilities Working Group, believes that Florida will benefit from this two-year project and the Working Group will continue to function beyond the planned two-year term.
For more information contact Brandon Moore at bmoore@tampabaywater.org, 727-796-2355 or 813-996-7009
About Tampa Bay Water:
Florida's largest wholesale water supplier, providing water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. More than 2 million people throughout the Tampa Bay region are served through Tampa Bay Water's member governments. For more information, visit www.tampabaywater.org
About Gainesville Regional Utilities:
Community-owned utility committed to developing and preserving the valuable resources of its community. GRU works hand-in-hand with residents, schools and nonprofit organizations to support programs that make a positive, tangible difference in customers' lives. For more information, visit www.gru.com
About Orlando Utilities Commission:
Serving residential and commercial customers with dependable, low-cost electric and water services. For more information, visit www.ouc.com
About Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department:
Committed to serving the needs of Miami-Dade County residents, businesses, and visitors by providing high-quality drinking water and wastewater disposal services while providing for future economic growth. For more information, visit www.miamidade.gov/wasd
About Palm Beach County Water Utilities:
Provides a reliable supply of superior quality drinking water to approximately 500,000 residents in the central and south-central unincorporated areas of the county. For more information, visit www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities
About Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority:
Works to fulfill its mission of providing its members with reliable supplies of high-quality water in a way that both protects and preserves the environment. For more information, visit www.regionalwater.org
About St. Johns River Water Management District:
Responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in all or part of 18 counties in northeast and east–central Florida. For more information, visit www.sjrwmd.com
About South Florida Water Management District:
Oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state, covering 16 counties from Orlando to the Florida Keys and serving a population of 7.7 million residents. For more information, visit www.sfwmd.gov
About Southwest Florida Water Management District:
Manages water and related natural resources to ensure their continued availability while maximizing environmental, economic and recreational benefits. For more information, visit www.swfwmd.state.fl.us
About University of Florida Water Institute:
Brings together talent from throughout the University to address complex water issues through innovative interdisciplinary research, education, and public outreach programs. For more information, visit www.waterinstitute.ufl.edu
About Florida Climate Institute:
Multi-disciplinary network of national and international research and public organizations, scientists, and individuals concerned with achieving a better understanding of climate variability and change. For more information, visit www.floridaclimateinstitute.org
About Florida State University, COAPS:
Promotes interdisciplinary research in air-sea interaction, the coupled ocean-atmosphere-land-ice earth system, and climate prediction on scales of weeks to decades in order to increase our understanding of the physical, social, and economic consequences of coupled ocean-atmospheric variations. For more information, visit www.coaps.fsu.edu
About South East Climate Consortium:
Uses advances in climate sciences to provide scientifically sound information and decision support tools for agricultural ecosystems, forests and other terrestrial ecosystems, and coastal ecosystems of the Southeastern U.S. For more information, visit www.seclimate.org
About UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education:
Works to enhance public understanding of issues in agriculture and natural resources through practical research in education, communication and leadership development. For more information, visit www.centerpie.com