How will the approved Blue Spring minimum flow regime impact the development of water supplies to meet future water supply needs?
The minimum flow regime will actually constrain or limit regional groundwater pumping for future water supply development. In fact, over the next 20 years this minimum flow regime will create the greatest limitation on groundwater development. As a result, the primary impact of the minimum flow regime is to create the need for water users to develop alternative water supply projects to supplement groundwater in meeting existing and future water supply needs. The District’s 2005 regional water supply plan identifies feasible alternative water supply project options that can be developed. Currently, public water suppliers in Volusia County have created an entity by interlocal agreement, the Water Authority of Volusia (WAV), for the purpose of developing and providing new water supplies to its members from alternative water supply sources other than groundwater. WAV recently completed a master facility plan that includes, as a priority, the development of a potable water supply plant usin
