I had pushed the mayor and council on this concern and after meetings with Steve Dibenow, who used to be the Chief of Staff for the mayor, they presented an alternate side of the street watering law, which was passed by Council.
I'm glad they finally listened. I don't think they went far enough, and seeing the law get enforced is something I think we'll all be waiting for for a long time.
I think the best thing we could do towards a long term solution is placement of a water desalination plant somewhere on the Northside and creating an enhanced water grid to transport and sell that water.
Words are cheap, so it remains that we all may be waiting a while for some real progressive action by those who say they have our best interests at heart.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Water Law
Taken for granted for so many years, our water resources are now stretched to their limits in many areas of the world.
We can be a short-sighted species. With an ever growing population, the need for renewable resources becomes more pronounced every day. Water being no exception, we must change our habits in how we use this valuable resource.
The argument being so academic and well known, I won't expound upon what the problem is, but rather will focus herein on some ideas I honestly think will change things for the better.
While there are many laws in place to conserve and protect our shared resource of clean water, they are not strong enough or fail to be properly implemented and enforced.
I therefore suggest the following recommendations and law or regulation after giving basic background, and will focus on the Northeast Florida area.
Florida depends upon its aquifer for most of the potable water we use. In Northeast Florida, The St. Johns River, which flows North from Central Florida and is fed by The St Johns and Ocklawaha rivers, and is fed by rainwater and some springs. Steady growth has increased the need for water, and the St Johns River Water Management District (hereafter WMD) is seeking to extract water from the headwaters, extracting an additional 262 million gallons a day on average. It has been stated by the WMD that this is a temporary measure, but we all know that once they start it will never stop.
In many places along the lower St Johns (Jacksonville area) the salinity of the river has gone up drastically. This has even effected wells 400 feet down near the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. This has an adverse effect on the environment and the fisheries and overall water quality of the St Johns.
Most experts agree that desalination (removal of salt from sea water) and conservation are the best and most desired ways to reach a sustainable water supply. Costs of desalination have gone down drastically over the last several years, and water conservation is becoming more accepted by our society. The biggest waste of water is for use in landscaping and a lack of home conservation. As I said, we take it for granted, and we as a people applied a little thought and concern, we would be able to meet our current needs and the demands that will come from growth. Water is taken for granted and abused by many, from homeowners who water their lawns every day to apartment complexes and retail establishments and commercial users who just don't think or don't care about it.
Florida must turn to desalination to meet the demands for the future, and the advancements in that technology in recent years have made it a very cost effective option.
Currently, it is very difficult to enforce abuses of water as the current system is. Some water abusers know full well that it is difficult to enforce, and that there are not many resources to enforce the provisions against water waste and abuse. Unless stronger provisions are made and a stronger arm for enforcement is created, people will continue to abuse water.
I suggest the creation of a Water Conservation Enforcement Division. The WCED would both enforce the law and go on patrol, and teach and instruct other police agencies in the area of water enforcement and at schools and other public venues.
The law should have the following basic (types of) provisions.
1. Institute a maximum of twice a week watering, set up for alternate street number watering, for no more than 5 hours a day.
Example:
Watering allowed for people (& businesses) with even house numbers:
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 5 am to 10 am
Watering allowed for people (& businesses) with odd house numbers:
Wednesdays and Sundays, 5 am to 10 am
First violation (or formal report of abuse) Warning
Second violation or violation after formal notice: $50 fine
Third violation: $100 fine
Fourth violation: $500 fine plus loss of water hook-up for one full day, violator and property subject to forced removal of irrigation systems if deemed proper by courts or administration.
This provision ride into future violations as well.
Fifth violation: $1,000 fine plus loss of water hook-up for three days
Subsequent violations: penalty for fifth violation plus whatever other measure the administration or courts may deem just.
In cases of apartment complexes and retail and commercial establishments where the water supply is shared and disconnect would place a hardship on those who have nothing to do with the violation, said responsible parties would have to complete 500 hours of community service in lieu of disconnect.
All general water saving devices such as rain sensors, high efficiency emitters, drip hoses, aerators, and other energy star and water saving devices should be tax exempt.
The local courts could administer these violations or it can be done in house with a review board. All monies taken in by fines should go directly into the WCED general operating find, and any excess should go towards primary education and conservation awareness at the primary school level.
The vehicles can be old police cars slated for auction that are suitable, and officers can be regular enforcement officers not unlike the DOT and Wildlife Division. This would have the added benefit of funding an additional LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) available to society.
Public education and awareness enhanced by strict enforcement would have profound effects.
The next and last leg would be to set up a comprehensive water grid not unlike the electric grid, and turning to and implementing desalination to producer water as cheaply as possible.
We can be a short-sighted species. With an ever growing population, the need for renewable resources becomes more pronounced every day. Water being no exception, we must change our habits in how we use this valuable resource.
The argument being so academic and well known, I won't expound upon what the problem is, but rather will focus herein on some ideas I honestly think will change things for the better.
While there are many laws in place to conserve and protect our shared resource of clean water, they are not strong enough or fail to be properly implemented and enforced.
I therefore suggest the following recommendations and law or regulation after giving basic background, and will focus on the Northeast Florida area.
Florida depends upon its aquifer for most of the potable water we use. In Northeast Florida, The St. Johns River, which flows North from Central Florida and is fed by The St Johns and Ocklawaha rivers, and is fed by rainwater and some springs. Steady growth has increased the need for water, and the St Johns River Water Management District (hereafter WMD) is seeking to extract water from the headwaters, extracting an additional 262 million gallons a day on average. It has been stated by the WMD that this is a temporary measure, but we all know that once they start it will never stop.
In many places along the lower St Johns (Jacksonville area) the salinity of the river has gone up drastically. This has even effected wells 400 feet down near the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. This has an adverse effect on the environment and the fisheries and overall water quality of the St Johns.
Most experts agree that desalination (removal of salt from sea water) and conservation are the best and most desired ways to reach a sustainable water supply. Costs of desalination have gone down drastically over the last several years, and water conservation is becoming more accepted by our society. The biggest waste of water is for use in landscaping and a lack of home conservation. As I said, we take it for granted, and we as a people applied a little thought and concern, we would be able to meet our current needs and the demands that will come from growth. Water is taken for granted and abused by many, from homeowners who water their lawns every day to apartment complexes and retail establishments and commercial users who just don't think or don't care about it.
Florida must turn to desalination to meet the demands for the future, and the advancements in that technology in recent years have made it a very cost effective option.
Currently, it is very difficult to enforce abuses of water as the current system is. Some water abusers know full well that it is difficult to enforce, and that there are not many resources to enforce the provisions against water waste and abuse. Unless stronger provisions are made and a stronger arm for enforcement is created, people will continue to abuse water.
I suggest the creation of a Water Conservation Enforcement Division. The WCED would both enforce the law and go on patrol, and teach and instruct other police agencies in the area of water enforcement and at schools and other public venues.
The law should have the following basic (types of) provisions.
1. Institute a maximum of twice a week watering, set up for alternate street number watering, for no more than 5 hours a day.
Example:
Watering allowed for people (& businesses) with even house numbers:
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 5 am to 10 am
Watering allowed for people (& businesses) with odd house numbers:
Wednesdays and Sundays, 5 am to 10 am
First violation (or formal report of abuse) Warning
Second violation or violation after formal notice: $50 fine
Third violation: $100 fine
Fourth violation: $500 fine plus loss of water hook-up for one full day, violator and property subject to forced removal of irrigation systems if deemed proper by courts or administration.
This provision ride into future violations as well.
Fifth violation: $1,000 fine plus loss of water hook-up for three days
Subsequent violations: penalty for fifth violation plus whatever other measure the administration or courts may deem just.
In cases of apartment complexes and retail and commercial establishments where the water supply is shared and disconnect would place a hardship on those who have nothing to do with the violation, said responsible parties would have to complete 500 hours of community service in lieu of disconnect.
All general water saving devices such as rain sensors, high efficiency emitters, drip hoses, aerators, and other energy star and water saving devices should be tax exempt.
The local courts could administer these violations or it can be done in house with a review board. All monies taken in by fines should go directly into the WCED general operating find, and any excess should go towards primary education and conservation awareness at the primary school level.
The vehicles can be old police cars slated for auction that are suitable, and officers can be regular enforcement officers not unlike the DOT and Wildlife Division. This would have the added benefit of funding an additional LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) available to society.
Public education and awareness enhanced by strict enforcement would have profound effects.
The next and last leg would be to set up a comprehensive water grid not unlike the electric grid, and turning to and implementing desalination to producer water as cheaply as possible.
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