There is a predicted 63 million gallon per day projected water deficit by 2075 and how that gap will be filled will depend on pending legal fights and even more expensive alternative water supply efforts, the Polk Regional Water Cooperative’s board heard Wednesday.
The main legal fight involves the dispute with Tampa Bay Water over whether Polk has a valid claim to some of the water in the Alafia River, which begins in the Mulberry area.
The dispute is scheduled for an administrative hearing in March after attempts to resolve the dispute earlier this year failed.
Edward delaParte told board members their position is that Tampa Bay Water is claiming water it does not need and Polk does need.
Eric DeHaven, PRWC’s executive director, said the alternatives including figuring out how to tap the Upper Peace River and an even deeper portion of the Lower Floridan Aquifer. They could also offer to buy water from Tampa Bay Water.
There was no discussion of how much that would cost and how it would affect water rates for Polk water customers in order to secure water for future development.
Meanwhile, work is progressing on the construction of wells and pipelines in connection with the Southeast Polk and Lakeland area projects.
Those projects involve tapping the shallowest sections of the Lower Floridan Aquifer and installing deep wells to get rid of the waste from the treatment of the poor-quality water being pumped from the Lower Floridan wells.
DeHaven also got the go-ahead to explore the feasibility of constructing a reservoir south of Fort Meade.