Water, Water Everywhere Nor any Drop to Drink, a Unique Water Resource Planning Challenge

The City of Sunrise having experienced unprecedented growth in water demand over past decade, has exhausted its raw water reserves and seeking alternatives to meet the future demands. The City conducted a rigorous study on the options versus the risks associated with alternative water source development and treatment. Six water supply alternatives were examined and compared against the base condition of continued use of the aquifer. A comparative Net Present Value was developed for each alternative. Simply following a present worth analysis to justify the selection of alternative sources may be problematic as it does not factor the long term sustainability of the sources. The Capital plan was developed based on cost as well as factors beyond cost, and was uniquely structured based on drivers. This structure offered flexibility to adapt to another change in 2009 caused by downturn of economy and growth in South Florida.