Holistic Approach to Water Resource Management in Collier County

摘要

Collier County, located in Southwest Florida, continues to be a pioneer in the development of alternative water resources. Having experienced high growth rates, the county has invested in a course of action to utilize alternative water supplies, such as brackish water for potable supply, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), irrigation quality (reclaimed) water, and conservation initiatives to meet its water supply needs. The county updates their water and wastewater master plans every 3 years and is currently developing a reclaimed water master plan to keep up with the changing technologies and their growing needs. Over the past 2 years, the county has received $9.7 million in grant funding from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) through Senate Bill 444 for their alternative water supply projects. This overview of Collier County’s holistic approach to water supplies demonstrates how innovation and planning, including change management, can respond to the growing water supply demands from population growth. The overview is broken down into the following topic areas: potable water, reclaimed water, ASR, and conservation initiatives.