1.4 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN FLORIDA

Comprehensive management approaches for stormwater management systems in Florida's communities also offer the community a number of opportunities for implementing integrated management program components that can conserve precious water resources.

1.4.1 Surficial Aquifer Recharge Enhancement

A number of Florida communities obtain their raw water supply from shallow, unconfined surficial aquifers, which underlie these communities. The aquifer is recharged locally by rainfall that percolates through the highly permeable soils in the remnant dunes. These local aquifers overlie the Floridian aquifer, which has a significant level of chlorides in many coastal areas. The ability of the surface aquifer to provide high quality raw water is limited by the amount and quality of recharge it receives.

Local studies in some coastal communities have shown that the drainage system over drains the surficial aquifer through deep ditches cut below the water table, drainage practices which quickly remove runoff from the recharge areas and isolation and/or development of natural wetland areas that provided long-term recharge of the surficial aquifer. A variety of structural and non-structural remedial solutions are available that can integrate the needs of effective stormwater management with long-term water supply needs.

Coastal communities should include consideration of the intimate relationship between water supply and stormwater management system design during the development of remedial drainage solutions that reduce over-drainage of the surficial aquifer and enhance surficial aquifer recharge opportunities. While stormwater management is not the answer to meeting long-term water supply needs, it can be a significant component in an integrated water supply program.

1.4.2 Water Quality Treatment

Federal, State and local environmental and water quality concerns for receiving waters -- freshwater bodies and rivers, coastal estuarine areas and marine waters -- will continue to bring increasingly more stringent water quality discharge regulations to bear on the community's stormwater system. An additional concern in many Florida communities is the quality of water, which is recharging the surficial aquifer system that serves as their water supply.

Communities should view their comprehensive stormwater management program as an opportunity to "get ahead" of the looming water quality regulatory programs by master planning, designing, constructing and operating a variety of stormwater management facilities which effectively attenuate flows while simultaneously providing suitable water quality treatment. This approach can provide flood control while also meeting water quality needs. As has been demonstrated with so many municipal programs, the cost of including preventative measures in facility planning and design is substantially less than the cost of adding remedial features after construction.

1.4.3 Wetland System Restoration

Many Florida communities have a significant number of natural wetland areas within and adjacent to their community limits which, to varying degrees, have been impacted by development activities over the last 50 years. These wetland areas serve four significant purposes:

• Natural stormwater attenuation and retention which can reduce the size of remedial conveyance systems
• Natural stormwater treatment which enhances discharged water quality enhancement
• Natural recharge of the surficial aquifer systems
• Aquatic and terrestrial habitat for environmental quality enhancement

Many communities have already recognized the value of these wetland systems in their community planning and development regulation processes. These communities can take advantage of opportunities to integrate wetland preservation and remediation concepts into their integrated water resources (stormwater and water supply) management master planning and design activities. In this way, a community can assure the survival and integrity of its important wetland systems.