BROWARD WATER ADVISORY BOARD TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING - June 20, 2014
A.
Coastal Inundation Risks for SE Florida: Incorporating climate change impact on hurricanes and
sea level rise. Climate change will cause an increased risk of storm surge and coastal inundation
in addition to increased cyclone activity. Policies are set by state and federal governments but
mitigation and adaption activities are often carried out at local levels. Coastal resilience requires
the cooperation of all levels of government. Mitigation and adaptation starts with a risk
assessment. Three methods were charted. Method 1 considered the following factors: storm
intensity, storm site, angle of landfall, storm forward speed and offshore bottom slope. Method
2 ran a statistical hurricane model 100 times for the period from 1990 to 2008. Method 3
divided the data into two sets which ran from 2020-2039 & from 2080-2099 using sea surface
heights derived from historical and forecast data. Both sets showed significant loss of land in
Miami-Dade County with set 2 showing higher loss. State of the art coupled hydrodynamic and
wave models can predict the inundation threat from an approaching hurricane with high
resolution and accuracy. Future studies will consider the comparison between local and federal
models in predicting surge/inundation and what effect vegetation has in dissipating storm surge.
B. Piloting Alternative Technologies for Recharge of the Floridian Aquifer: The City of Hollywood’s
waste water treatment plant was significantly affected by the ocean outfall termination rule.
Several reuse options were evaluated. The options include recharge to the Biscayne and
Floridian aquifers as well as large user spray irrigations which, due to chloride levels, is not
practical in an urban setting. Established recharge treatment technology uses microfiltration and
reverse osmosis. County regulators were approached regarding alternative treatment. However,
no standard exists for treating emerging contaminants such as medicines. California’s Title 22
groundwater replenishment reuse functional group framework was proposed because it treats
like chemistries together for more economical results. Multi treatment is used because no one
treatment works well on all contaminants. What treatment best suits our need has yet to be
determined.
C. 10 Year Water Supply Facility Work Plan Update: The water supply planning schedule was
updated September 2013 and will have final adoption in 2015. There is a minimum 10-year
planning horizon with frequent data analysis. Comprehensive plan elements include potable
water, sanitary sewer, conservation, drainage/aquifer recharge, coastal management,
intergovernmental coordination and capital improvement. Climate change will see increased salt
water intrusion, extreme events, and infrastructure investments. By 2020 Broward County will
need an alternative water source. Water supply sources and facilities will be assessed annually
with updates on the status of project development and funding sources. The results will be used
to prioritize and coordinate the expansion and upgrade of facilities.
Submitted by: Terry Lianzi, Member At-Large