THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE DIVISION, AND THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE BROWARD COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Approval of this item supports the Board’s Value of “Encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection” and Goal 2: Proactively lead in the planning, design and construction of projects supporting resilience and climate adaptation, including coordination with other entities to foster resilient design as part of local and regional projects, especially shore protection efforts; and Goal 3: Increase water quality protection efforts and lead creative approaches to water storage and aquifer recharge as well as diversification of water supplies, regionally.
The Broward County-wide Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) is a ten-year plan developed by the Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division in cooperation with Broward’s diverse water management community as a county-wide approach to help ensure the protection and sustainability of local and regional water resources for the benefit of both urban and natural systems. The IWRP has been developed with the goal to better coordinate the sources and users of water in effective and efficient local water management and to assist in meeting the County’s present and future urban water supply needs and water resource goals.
The original IWRP Report was approved by the Board on January 26, 2010 (Item No. 16), the product of a regionally-coordinated planning process that commenced in 1997 and involved the participation and support of the Water Advisory Board to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and its Technical Advisory Committee. Approval of this item provides for official acceptance of the 2019 Broward County-wide Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) Update.
The 2019 IWRP Update provides a summary of the County’s efforts relating to water resources management over the period 2009-2018, details how the County’s water management community has addressed the goals and recommendations of the original IWRP report, and specifies how the County is working to improve its resilience through planning efforts that address the growing challenges of sea level rise and the increased flooding associated with climate change. It discusses how current water resources planning relates to other ongoing planning efforts including the Broward County Comprehensive Plan, the Broward County Climate Action Plan, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Action Plan 2.0 (RCAP 2.0), and the “One Water” approach. The update provides recommendations for the future, reflective of water supply needs, climate change pressures, water quality considerations, and funding strategies. Of particular note, the 2019 IWRP Update was developed as an on-line resource and is viewable in interactive form on the Division’s website at
www.broward.org/waterresources.
The IWRP Update includes 32 recommendations, in four categories: 1) Understanding Our Water Resources Management Challenges; 2) Managing Water Resources Challenges; 3) Funding Water Resources Projects; and 4) Implementing Water Resources Projects. The updated recommendations reinforce the current efforts currently advanced by the County in support of resilient infrastructure to address future flood conditions, coordination with Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact, and implementation of RCAP 2.0 Water Resources Recommendations. In addition, the IWRP Update endorses a series of alternative water supply sources (e.g., C-51 Reservoir and reuse projects), places continued emphasis on water conservation and existing collaborative programs (e.g., NatureScape, Conservation Pays, Environmental Partnership with Schools); promotes green infrastructure projects and the South Florida Water Management District’s Flood Protection level of Service Program in Broward County, along with continuous investments in hydrologic modeling and monitoring. It recommends targeting an additional 10% reduction in that average per capita water demand by 2028.
The 2019 IWRP Update and its recommendations were endorsed by the Water Advisory Board to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners at their March 29, 2019 meeting. The IWRP document will continue to be updated on a regular basis.