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February 16, 2017
Wells to Provide Relief to Our Estuaries
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Certain groups continue to falsely characterize water storage technology under consideration for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project (LOWP) as "wasting much-needed water." This is not the case.
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Here are the Facts:
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As identified in LOWP, two promising underground technologies will
reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries
. These technologies operate in tandem with above-ground surface reservoirs to help
meet the recommended storage volumes in the 2015 University of Florida Water Institute Study.
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As explained in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells store excess surface water in the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The water can be recovered later during dry periods to supplement regional water supply for all water users, including the environment.
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From the 2015 UF Water
Institute Study:
"Advantages of ASR wells include 1) in sufficient numbers they are able to provide for substantial inter-annual storage, 2) they require a minimal land surface footprint, and 3) they have been shown to provide a reduction in phosphorus concentrations in recovered water in CERP pilot studies."
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Deep Injection Well technology involves pumping water 3,000 feet underground into a formation known as the "Boulder Zone," a transmissive rock layer that easily accepts water.
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Deep Injection Wells are operated at low pressures that do not cause fracturing of rock layers.
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Deep Injection Wells require an underground injection control permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure that existing state rules are met and surrounding aquifer water quality is not degraded.
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From
the 2015 UF Water
Institute Study:
"Deep injection wells could be part of a long-term solution to reduce damaging discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, or they could provide an interim solution until additional storage, treatment and conveyance capacity can be constructed south of Lake Okeechobee."
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In years like 2016, Deep Injection Wells could have been employed quickly to reduce the severity of damaging discharges that caused emergency conditions in the estuaries. The wells provide yet another option for capturing excess stormwater from these extreme rainfall events instead of releasing water through the estuaries and causing harm.
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SFWMD scientists estimate that some Deep Injection Wells could be operational in as little as two to three years.
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The wells under consideration for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project are similar in operation to the more than 250 Deep Injection Wells found throughout Florida that have had great success for the last 15 years. (For example, Martin County has 4 permitted Deep Injection Wells.)
- LOWP is a joint effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and SFWMD. This planning team will continue to evaluate all water storage and treatment options to help provide relief for the estuaries.
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The South Florida Water Management District
is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.
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