Florida's Water Crisis: Strategies To Combat Pollution

Florida's water quality is essential to the state's environment, economy, and quality of life. However, water pollution is a pressing issue, with sources ranging from industrial plants and large farms to residents, businesses, and visitors. To stop water pollution in Florida, it is crucial to address excess nutrient loading from septic systems, wastewater treatment, and phosphate mining, as well as implement strategies such as Basin Management Action Plans and Total Maximum Daily Loads of excess pollutants. Proper maintenance of stormwater management systems, responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides, and funding for water quality data collection are also key to reducing pollution in Florida's water bodies.

Properly maintain local stormwater management systems

Stormwater management systems are an important part of reducing water pollution in Florida. Individuals and small businesses can play a role in reducing pollution by properly maintaining these systems.

One way to do this is by constructing berms on your property to retain stormwater and prevent runoff. Berms are small, raised areas of land that can be built to direct stormwater to specific areas. This helps to prevent flooding and reduces the amount of stormwater that enters natural water systems.

Another way to maintain stormwater management systems is to create buffer strips of vegetation along canals and roadways. These buffer strips help to filter runoff, preventing pollutants from entering water systems, and also prevent soil erosion. It is important to maintain the existing slopes on your property away from canals and roadways, and to never change the grading of slopes that drain into canals, waterways or lakes.

In addition to these measures, individuals and small businesses can reduce pollution by using fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides with care. These products can contain harmful chemicals that can be washed into water systems, so it is important to use them sparingly and to follow any instructions for use carefully. It is also important to be aware of how easily household chemicals and other pollutants can be flushed into groundwater and surface water systems.

Use fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides with care

Individuals and small businesses can reduce water pollution in Florida in a number of ways. One of the most important is to use fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides with care. These products can easily be washed into groundwater systems, especially during storms, so it's important to be aware of how you're using and storing them.

Fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides are often washed into water systems via stormwater runoff. To prevent this, you can construct berms on your property to retain stormwater and prevent runoff. You can also create buffer strips of vegetation along canals and roadways on your property to filter runoff and prevent soil erosion. It's also important to maintain your property's existing slopes away from canals and roadways. When managing your farm or landscaping your property, remember that you should never change the grading of slopes that drain into canals, waterways or lakes.

Phosphate mining and fertiliser production in Florida have a direct impact on water quality. Mining operations release massive amounts of wastewater into critical waterbodies and phosphogypsum stacks have a history of leaking pollution into the watershed. In the event a mining site fails to meet annually monitored water quality inspections, their operating permit should be revoked until effluent standards are met and verified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

The FDEP has identified two strategies for improving water quality: Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) and the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of excess pollutants and nutrients. However, the state has failed to sufficiently fund testing, standardization, staffing and consequential goals, resulting in negligible progress on water quality. It's important to fully fund BMAP and TMDL monitoring and enforcement, establish unified standards and pursue reporting accountability.

Prioritise funding for water quality data collection and assessment

Florida's environment, economy and quality of life depend on the health of its streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters. Therefore, it is essential to identify when water bodies are polluted or at risk of becoming polluted. This requires a robust data collection program with sufficient funding, technology and staff.

The state government and local jurisdictions should prioritise funding for water quality data collection and assessment to quickly and accurately identify water quality problems. This funding is necessary to support the technological resources and staffing required for a successful data collection program.

For example, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has identified Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of excess pollutants and nutrients as strategies for improving water quality. However, insufficient funding has been allocated to testing, standardization, staffing and consequential goals, hindering progress on water quality improvements.

To address this issue, full funding should be provided for BMAP and TMDL monitoring and enforcement, along with the establishment of unified standards and reporting accountability. Additionally, funding should be prioritised for wastewater treatment upgrades and the enforcement of septic-to-sewer conversion requirements to meet new standards.

By prioritising funding for water quality data collection and assessment, Florida can effectively identify and address water pollution issues, protecting its environment, economy and quality of life.

Fully fund Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) and the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of excess pollutants and nutrients

Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) and the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of excess pollutants and nutrients are two strategies identified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for improving water quality. However, the state has failed to sufficiently fund testing, standardization, staffing and consequential goals, resulting in negligible progress on water quality.

To fully fund BMAP and TMDL monitoring and enforcement, unified standards must be established and reporting accountability pursued. This includes acquiring additional private lands in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) south of Lake Okeechobee to augment the EAA Reservoir project for the storage, treatment and conveyance of water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay.

The health of Florida's streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters is heavily reliant on the quality of the water. Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize funding for water quality data collection and assessment to quickly and accurately identify water quality problems. This requires robust funding and technological resources, as well as sufficient staffing.

Individuals and small businesses can also play a role in reducing water pollution by properly maintaining local stormwater management systems, using fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides with care, and being aware of how easily household chemicals and other pollutants can be flushed into ground and surface water systems.

Prioritise funding of wastewater treatment upgrades

Wastewater treatment upgrades are essential to reducing water pollution in Florida. The state's environment, economy, and quality of life are heavily dependent on the health of its streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. One of the key issues impacting water quality is excess nutrient loading from septic systems and outdated wastewater treatment facilities.

The Northern Indian River Lagoon Complex, which includes the Indian River, Banana River, and Mosquito Lagoon, is particularly affected by this issue. Antiquated wastewater treatment systems release massive amounts of wastewater into critical waterbodies, and phosphate mining and fertilizer production in Florida also directly impact water quality. Mining operations have a history of leaking pollution into the watershed, and when water quality inspections are failed, operating permits should be revoked until effluent standards are met and verified.

To address this, funding for wastewater treatment upgrades must be prioritized. This includes enforcing septic-to-sewer conversion requirements to meet new standards. Additionally, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has identified Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of excess pollutants and nutrients as strategies to improve water quality. However, the state has struggled to make significant progress due to insufficient funding for testing, standardization, and staffing.

To effectively implement these strategies, Florida must commit to fully funding BMAP and TMDL monitoring and enforcement. This includes acquiring additional private lands in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) south of Lake Okeechobee to expand the EAA Reservoir project's capacity for storing, treating, and conveying water to the Everglades and Florida Bay. By prioritizing funding for wastewater treatment upgrades and related initiatives, Florida can make substantial progress in improving water quality and protecting its vital water resources.

Furthermore, individuals and small businesses can play a role in reducing water pollution. This includes properly maintaining local stormwater management systems, using fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides with care, and being aware of how easily household chemicals and other pollutants can enter groundwater and surface water systems. Constructing berms on properties to retain stormwater and prevent runoff, as well as creating buffer strips of vegetation along canals and roadways, are also effective strategies to reduce pollution and prevent soil erosion.

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