Climate change threatens Florida's drinking water supply

St. Petersburg Times (Florida): If climatologists are right, Florida's future could be a thirsty one: Climate change, blamed for eating away at Florida's coastline, is also quietly encroaching on the state's drinking water. Much of the damage to Florida's water supply will take place out of sight, in the underground aquifers that provide most of the state's drinking water. As rising seas nibble at the state's coastline, saltwater intrusion will also creep steadily inland. "We used to assume that we could use the past records to predict the future," said Mark Stewart, a professor at the University of South Florida. "Now, we just don't know."

To cope with uncertain freshwater supplies, the state has turned to expensive reservoirs and energy-intensive desalination plants, and plans to build even more. Florida could turn to schemes that seem unthinkable today, like pumping wastewater into aquifers that supply our drinking water.

"Recently, there has been rising agreement among water managers that this is an issue that needs to be addressed," said Chris Milly, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "Climate change is real, and affects the water system enough that it will have an impact on the decisions they make on how they deliver water to their customers."

Florida's climate has already begun to change. Sea levels have started to rise. Saltwater fish are swimming farther upstream, while saltwater mangroves invade freshwater marshes. Rainfall has become less predictable. Rivers and reservoirs are at near-historic lows.

Climate models offer little guidance, Stewart said. Some predict more rainfall, others predict the state will devolve into a desert. Despite the uncertainty, there are worrying challenges ahead, he explained…

Milton, Florida, the beginning of Florida State Road Number One. Shot by Ebyabe, Wikimedia Commons, under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2