AWWA SOURCES59192

Due to the growing population of South Florida, increased demands have been placed on the natural resources of the region. In recent years, therefore, there has been a greater emphasis on sound water resource management to assure that future needs can be met. LBFH, Inc. assisted the Abacoa Development Company with the design and construction of a community-wide master irrigation system for the Abacoa development project with this in mind. In order to obtain a reliable source of water to provide the minimum daily quantity necessary to sustain the proposed vegetation within the community, various alternatives were considered. Available groundwater is limited and therefore, there could never be a guarantee of long-term groundwater allocations from the South Florida Water Management District. Further, there is continued competition within the region for groundwater allocations for other uses such as potable raw water supply and other environmental needs. Another potential source of water was the project's surface water management system. However, this was not considered to be a reliable source as a significant supply for irrigation purposes. At a time when irrigation may be most needed, the surface water management system will be experiencing deficits due to drought conditions. All water resources are valuable, and therefore appropriate usage of those resources is imperative. Resources should be used to their highest and most beneficial use. From the inception of this project, there was a commitment by it's visionary founder that it was to be "environmentally sustainable" where the natural resources (groundwater) would have little or no consumptive impacts. Reuse water proved to be the valuable "resource" that satisfied this goal and the irrigation needs of the project.