WEST PALM BEACH -- Florida’s increasing population could strain water supply, according to information shared at the May 14 meeting of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board.

“More than 3 billion gallons of water are used every day in Central and South Florida by 9.4 million residents and millions of visitors,” explained Stacey Payseno of the SFWMD. “In the next 20 years, the population is projected to increase to over 11 million. The corresponding  water demand will increase by over 350 million gallons per day.

“Traditional water sources are insufficient to meet the future demands,” she said.

Florida needs alternative water supply (AWS), including treated brackish water, reclaimed water and capturing excess water for later use in Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) wells and reservoirs, she explained.

Caitlin Newcamp of Audubon Florida said the state should put more emphasis on water conservation and reducing water demand. She said there should be more emphasis on reducing irrigation for ornamentals. Switching to native and Florida-friendly plants in residential lawns and gardens could reduce water use.

 “We waste a lot of water,” said Mark Perry of Florida Oceanographic Society. He said wastewater should be recycled, instead of sending it to the ocean.

Perry said Florida has lost a lot of wetlands to development. “We need to preserve the wetlands we have and restore the wetlands we can in order to recharge the aquifers,” he added.