Water & Land Uses

Total water use in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties increased from 875 to about 2,148 Mgal/d between 1965 and 2000, respectively (fig. 16). As the principal source of freshwater in southeastern Florida, the surficial aquifer system provided about 1,085 Mgal/d in 2000 to meet municipal, agricultural, recreational, industrial, and power-generation needs as shown in figure 17 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2004). Ground water is the principal source for public supply in southeastern Florida, because it is readily available and requires little treatment prior to distribution (Marella, 1992). Surface water also provides a substantial portion of the overall water supply in the tri-county area. In 2000, surface-water use totaled about 1,063 Mgal/d in the tri-county area, with most of this water used to satisfy agricultural needs in Palm Beach County (Marella, 1999). Public supply and agriculture generally have represented the major water-use categories for ground water in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. The increase in water use for public supply and recreation reflects the growth of urban areas. Total water use for public supply increased about two and three-quarter times (316 to 882 Mgal/d) between 1965 and 2000, respectively.

Figure 16. Water use in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, 1965-2000. From U.S. Geological Survey (2004). [larger image]

 

Figure 17. Ground- and surface-water uses in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties by category, 1965 and 2000. Values shown in million gallons per day. Derived from water-use data in the files of the U.S. Geological Survey. [larger image]

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