Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Paying for desalination now saves groundwater for later

By ANDREW SKERRITT
Published November 6, 2005

Would you rather pay three times as much for drinking water to ensure that water will always flow from the faucet, that there will be no more sinkholes or lakes going dry?

I would.

Folks only get interested in their water when we have a drought. Let's not wait that long.

You see, Tampa Bay Water is involved in a dispute with the Southwest Florida Water Management District about the future source of drinking water for folks who live in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Swiftmud put up $85-million for the Tampa Bay Water Seawater Desalination Plant in Apollo Beach. For its money, the district wants Tampa Bay Water to produce an average of 25-million gallons of water a day at the plant instead of 15-million gallons a day as the utility proposed. That's what they agreed to.

"We want to cut back on the use of groundwater," said Swiftmud spokesman Mike Molligan.

Overpumping of groundwater has been blamed for sinkholes, depleted lakes and dried-up wetlands.

"We need to do everything we can to protect the environment," Molligan said.

The two sides begin mediation in the next week or so. In anticipation of those talks, Pasco County commissioners recently ordered their attorneys to insist that the desalination plant, which is expected to resume operation next year, produce 25-million gallons a day. Water issues are regional; sinkholes are local.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Water is arguing that the demand for the plant to average 25-million gallons a day is unnecessary. It can meet consumer demand with less. As part of their partnership agreement, the utility says it has reduced pumping from 151-million to 96-million gallons a day.

Thanks to a few wet years, that's ahead of the Jan. 1, 2008, deadline, when underground pumping needs to be no higher than 90-million gallons a day. Right now, the permit allows the utility to pump 121-million gallons a day.

"We are on target," said Koni Cassini, director of finance and administration at Tampa Bay Water.

"We have seen some of the highest lake levels and groundwater levels even with an extremely dry September."

Utility execs argue that producing less water makes economic sense. Groundwater is cheap compared to desalinated water - 2,000 percent cheaper by some estimates. Water bills will increase.

That sounds reasonable.

But from then on, some of the utilities' arguments sound like talking points prepared by Washington political operatives.

Michelle Robinson, Tampa Bay Water spokeswoman, says if Swiftmud wins, then the unelected, "unaccountable" appointed Swiftmud board will be making decisions about water bills.

When it comes to knowing what customers want, Cassini added, Tampa Bay Water, with its board of elected representatives from the member counties and cities, is much more responsive.

"Our elected officials are in a better position to make that decision," said Cassini. "They have to answer to rate payers who have to pay their (higher) water bills."

That argument would have been more persuasive somewhere else. Remember state legislators and the telephone rate hike?

Since there is no drought, it isn't always easy to find citizens interested in talking about water. But Lutz resident Denise Layne, executive director of the Coalition 4 Responsible Growth, has been following this bouncing ball for about eight years. She says Tampa Bay Water should have raised the issue of cost years ago. She thinks the economic argument is a smoke screen.

"We're having the wrong conversation," Layne said. "Now they are trying to change the conversation to one of economics instead of environmental stewardship, which is the purpose of Tampa Bay Water."

She's right.

The big concern is that if the desal plant and other alternative water resources aren't meeting the needs as the region grows, Tampa Bay Water will resort to more groundwater pumping. That's never good for the environment.

No one knows how long the wells will last. The desalination plant was built to reduce pumping of groundwater and as insurance in case of prolonged drought. Ours is an unquenchable thirst.

Andrew Skerritt can be reached in central Pasco at 813 909-4602 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602. His e-mail address is askerritt@sptimes.com

[Last modified November 6, 2005, 01:58:09]