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MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Part of Manatee County’s long-term water plan calls for taking drinking water from the Peace River.
It comes at a critical time, as the county has seen an increase in water consumption because of rapid growth in the area.
What You Need To Know
- According to county officials, it’s part of a long-term plan. Starting in 2036, the county would take five million gallons of water a day from the river
- Other counties already get their drinking water from the Peace River, and because of increased demand, Manatee County moved up its timeline by a year
- While environmental groups worry about future affects, the county says a new water source is essential to keep drinking water flowing
Protecting the environment and local waterways is a top priority for Abbey Tyrna.
“Oh, the environment means everything — not just to me, but to our economy,” she said.
She is the executive director of Suncoast Waterkeeper, an organization that protects and restores Florida’s waterways.
She is concerned about where Manatee County will get its drinking water in the future, as the county plans to tap into the Peace River.
“It cannot satisfy the growing population. The Peace River will go dry,” she said. “We already see problems in the headwaters of the Peace River. We need to protect the headwaters of the Peace River.”
Other counties already get their drinking water from the Peace River, and because of increased demand, Manatee County moved up its timeline by a year.
According to county officials, it’s part of a long-term plan. Starting in 2036, the county would take five million gallons of water a day from the river.
Currently, the county uses about 50 million gallons of water a day.
Two-thirds comes from Lake Manatee, and one-third comes from groundwater.
“Currently, we don’t take any water from the Peace River Authority. But our long-term planning has always had a contingency plan to connect to the Peace River,” said Patrick Shea, the utilities director for Manatee County.
At the water treatment plant, he says there is plenty of drinking water, but usage has increased over time.
“Because of growth — recent growth — and the dry season, our annual projections for water use and water demand have increased, moving up that timeline,” he said.
Abbey says the county should explore other options before tapping into the Peace River.
“We need to start connecting to reclaimed water and stop using our limited supplies of groundwater for things like irrigation,” she said.
While environmental groups worry about future effects, the county says a new water source is essential to keep drinking water flowing.
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Julia Hazel
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