Future water crisis - Florida only

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This is a heads-up for those readers who live in Florida and are not aware of the looming water shortage crisis. I won't go into lengthy detail, but if you live in Florida and are not aware that we will run out of water in the next 10-20 years, get in touch with your local Water Management District and ask for the Management Summary for your area. Trust me, you won't believe what your local elected officals and developers are keeping from you! You might want to sell out now and avoid the losses which will occur when there isn't enough water to support the cities!

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), April 08, 2001

Answers

John, what can you tell me about the water shortage in FL? I live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and am very concerned. I know that we are unnder strict water restrictions right now but I thought things would be less drastic once the rains began. We are doing our part to conserve, but I fear folks just think that you can never run out of water...the earth is FULL of it. Please help. Thank you.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), April 08, 2001.

Greenthumbelina, If I told you, you wouldn't believe it! Get in touch with your local water management district and as for their executive summary. It will tell you in easy-to-understand language how long you are going to have water and what will happen when it runs out. We really won't run out of water in Florida, we'll run out of fresh water. If you can get by with brackish or saltwater, you'll do great. Here in Volusia County, the county is getting ready to create a water authority which will take over all water wells and systems, both private and municipal. They have been told by the St. Johns River Water Management District that they will be out of fresh water in 10 years, out of brackish water in 15 years and have nothing but saltwater in 20 years. The state has told the county that the state will not get involved in any rescue effort. Get the Executive Summary. I am trying to get my kids to sell out and move, but, like you said, they don't believe that it can happen.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), April 10, 2001.

The lifeboat gets more full with each passing day.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

Thank you for the response John. I fear the problem will be when too many folks wait til the last minute to concern themselves with this serious issue and then everyone will be scrambling to "get out of Dodge" all at once. Folks will have to TRY to (practically) give their land/homes away, as who in their right mind would want to buy in Florida when a danger of this magnitude is looming in the near future? I will ask for that copy of our local water management district's Executive Summary. Thank you for alerting us to this issue. By the way, you mentioned that you are trying to get your kids to sell and move out of Florida, are you living in another state at present? Again, thank you for your post and please keep us informed as you become aware of new information. I will try to do the same.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), April 11, 2001.

I attended the monthly meeting our local town council last night and got to see the looks on the faces of those present when they were given the word that their agricultural careers were going to be coming to an end in less than 20 years after a run of 150 years. These are folks whose families have lived on and farmed this land for over 100 years. I think I know now how a person reacts when they are told that they have terminal cancer. Most of them suspected that it was coming but were in denial. They all have big (8 - 10 inch) wells which they use for irrigation and know how low the levels in those wells have dropped. What will really be interesting is what will happen when the well fields for the large cities, like Orlando and Tampa, run dry. Tampa is already in desperate straits and will probably not make it another 5 - 7 years. Want to buy some really cheap real estate?

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), April 11, 2001.


More follow-up on my original post. Today (12 April 2001) the Associated Press reported that the Florida Senate passed, by a margin of 29 - 7, a bill which permits the injection of UNTREATED GROUND WATER (that's EVERYTHING except sewage) into the Florida Aquifer. To those who don't know, the aquifer is Florida's ONLY source of clean, pure drinking water. I have been sort of unconcerned about the plight of the cities because I am on my own well which is hooked up to the aquifer. Soon, once water containing street runoff, sewage from boaters who use the waterways for a toilet and the remains of dead animals and plant life migrates though the aquifer to my well, even my way-out-in-the-boonies wellwater won't be safe to drink. Welcome to Florida where government is for sale to the highest-bidding developer and the future is something which no one is responsible for. Anyone want to buy 10 acres with an earth-sheltered home, two large gardens and, for a short time to come, your own private source of potable water? My relatives in Nebraska tell me that the Ogalalla aquifer is going the same way. Geez............nowhere to hide.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), April 12, 2001.

Dear jz, true the life boat fills, but we were there once. So we can only lend a kind word to those who see their boat sinking. As was so kind a guidance of some during Y2K.And not to discount my intelligence, I read every Government document about their ignorance about Y2K. I saw my fellow I.T. citizen bow before Congress (I have printed testimony), and they said "Oh Jesus, the sky will fall". I made preparations based on every Government site. If we can not rely upon our Government's advice. Did you ever visit every testimony of the I.T. folks in government operation? I did. I printed them. I will hold all accountable for what they said. I regret I must pursue legal accountability for actions and deeds. Not for money, but to make you "fess up" about your stupidy. My request, Talk to one another, be not ashamed of not knowing, be ashamed of "not asking".

-- My Story (andIam@sticking.com), April 13, 2001.

Tell me about it...I'm outta here! Just bought a farm in up north and first thing we asked was "so...how's your water situation"! I'm sure there are other problems there, but no water is just toooo scary for us!

-- KBall (db0421@yahoo.com), April 14, 2001.

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