Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida
This paper examines the capital costs for alternative water supply projects in Florida, the third most populous state in the United States. The increasing scarcity of fresh groundwater in Florida has led to investments in alternative water supply sources, including brackish groundwater, surface wate...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/8/2089 |
| _version_ | 1797561558674440192 |
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| author | Tatiana Borisova Matthew Cutillo Kate Beggs Krystle Hoenstine |
| author_facet | Tatiana Borisova Matthew Cutillo Kate Beggs Krystle Hoenstine |
| author_sort | Tatiana Borisova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper examines the capital costs for alternative water supply projects in Florida, the third most populous state in the United States. The increasing scarcity of fresh groundwater in Florida has led to investments in alternative water supply sources, including brackish groundwater, surface water capture and storage, reclaimed water, and stormwater. Expenditures to meet the growing water demand for the 20-year planning horizon are estimated using water demand projections and existing supply estimates from Florida’s five water management districts. In the regions where demand projections exceed the existing supply, the districts are required to identify project options to meet the growing water demand while protecting the natural systems. This study uses the database of 645 projects implemented in the past or considered for the future. The Ordinary Least Squares regression model shows that project implementation costs depend on project capacity, type, implementation status, and implementation region. Given the most common project types and project sizes, the total investments to meet the state’s future water demand could reach almost $2 billion in the next 20 years. The expenditures necessitate more cost-effective options (such as expanding stormwater use and water conservation). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:15:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17bbb8d8737e4d48a01f72f528156d38 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:15:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-17bbb8d8737e4d48a01f72f528156d382023-11-20T07:40:54ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-07-01128208910.3390/w12082089Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from FloridaTatiana Borisova0Matthew Cutillo1Kate Beggs2Krystle Hoenstine3Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAEconomic and Demographic Research, Florida Legislature, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USAEconomic and Demographic Research, Florida Legislature, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USAEconomic and Demographic Research, Florida Legislature, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USAThis paper examines the capital costs for alternative water supply projects in Florida, the third most populous state in the United States. The increasing scarcity of fresh groundwater in Florida has led to investments in alternative water supply sources, including brackish groundwater, surface water capture and storage, reclaimed water, and stormwater. Expenditures to meet the growing water demand for the 20-year planning horizon are estimated using water demand projections and existing supply estimates from Florida’s five water management districts. In the regions where demand projections exceed the existing supply, the districts are required to identify project options to meet the growing water demand while protecting the natural systems. This study uses the database of 645 projects implemented in the past or considered for the future. The Ordinary Least Squares regression model shows that project implementation costs depend on project capacity, type, implementation status, and implementation region. Given the most common project types and project sizes, the total investments to meet the state’s future water demand could reach almost $2 billion in the next 20 years. The expenditures necessitate more cost-effective options (such as expanding stormwater use and water conservation).https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/8/2089long-termregional water supply planningalternative water supplyprojectsexpendituresinvestments |
| spellingShingle | Tatiana Borisova Matthew Cutillo Kate Beggs Krystle Hoenstine Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida Water long-term regional water supply planning alternative water supply projects expenditures investments |
| title | Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida |
| title_full | Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida |
| title_fullStr | Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida |
| title_full_unstemmed | Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida |
| title_short | Addressing the Scarcity of Traditional Water Sources through Investments in Alternative Water Supplies: Case Study from Florida |
| title_sort | addressing the scarcity of traditional water sources through investments in alternative water supplies case study from florida |
| topic | long-term regional water supply planning alternative water supply projects expenditures investments |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/8/2089 |
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