Introduction
Quality drinking water accessibility is essential to sustaining people’s health and well-being. Most of Florida’s freshwater is sourced from underground aquifers consisting of multiple porous rock layers which hold water. However, various events associated with climate change threaten its existence. This paper highlights the effect of sea-level rise on Florida’s freshwater source, the strategies employed to mitigate this effect, and advice to states and federal officials.
Drinking Water Source and Sea-Level Rise
Aquifers supply around ninety percent of Florida’s drinking water, an equivalent of over eight billion water gallons daily. Florida’s main aquifer systems include the Floridan, Intermediate, and Surficial systems (“South Florida Water District,” 2015). Scenarios related to climate change, such as the changing patterns of weather, increasing temperatures, and sea-level rise, threaten the state’s drinking water sources’ availability and quality. Rising sea levels typically trigger the intrusion of saltwater to freshwater aquifers, soil saturation, and septic tank leakages.
Mitigation Efforts
The state is addressing the aforementioned issue by building sea walls, protecting sewage systems, and improving stormwater system storage. For example, Miami Beach County has allocated over $400 million for building seawalls in low-lying areas in the region (“Florida’s sea level is rising,” 2017). Seawalls protect beaches and shorelines from erosion, reduces water waves’ energy, and prevents soil from sliding through its structure. Other mitigation measures include building a large freshwater containment unit and utilizing gravel and sand to protect threatened coastal areas.
Personal Recommendation
A recommendation to the state and federal officials is to adopt the use municipal wastes to raise low lying areas. The utilization of municipal wastes to elevate low-lying regions is a cost-effective and an innovative way to minimize carbon emission produced by waste incinerators (Wong, 2015). The state can use a combination of rocks, gravel, sand, and municipal wastes to raise the level of low-lying areas. Protective plastic liners may be utilized as sanitary landfills to prevent municipal waste and seawater interaction. Raising low lying areas will prevent saltwater from reaching the surface.
Conclusion
In summary, underground aquifers are the primary drinking water source in South Florida. These systems are highly reactive to droughts and excessive water withdrawals. Rising sea-levels typically increase surface and groundwater’s salinity. Mitigation to counter sea-level rise includes building sea walls, protecting sewage systems, and improving stormwater system storage. State and federal officials can adopt the use of municipal waste to raise low lying areas.
References
Florida’s sea level is rising (2017). Sea Level Rise. Web.
South Florida Water District. (2015). Climate impacts on water resources. US EPA. Web.
Wong, K. (2015). Mitigation and adaptation responses to sea level rise. The Open Hydrology Journal, 9(1), 24–27. Web.