Hilton Head Public Service District “A Light at the End of the Tunnel” Total Replacement of Groundwater Supply With New RO & Aquifer Storage Reserve Facilities

In 2012, Hilton Head Public Service District presented at the Annual Meeting of WEFTEC, a manuscript and paper on Crisis Management & Planning for its pending and total loss of all its original groundwater supply due to saltwater intrusion into the Upper Floridan Aquifer (UFA).The District was faced with critical issues in replacing eleven (11) original wells as a saltwater plume was crossing the northern end of Hilton Head Island and systematically destroying its water supply. To-date, the District has lost seven (7) of its original wells and based on continuous monitoring and modeling will lose two more (2) wells in the next 2 years. By the 2020s, all of its original well supply will be lost.In planning the full development of its water supply and distribution system, the District had to develop a water program to meet the needs of 19,000 people and provide an average demand of 6 million gallons per day (MGD) and a maximum daily demand of 12 MGD. The latter is representative of a summer population that vacations at the island.This paper presents a detailed report with graphs and figures for the following:Update on past programs and facilities to-dateWater Quality Monitoring & Hydrogeological ProgramsDetails on the Centerpieces of District’s Water Supply - Reverse Osmosis (RO) Treatment and Aquifer Storage Reserve (ASR) FacilitiesOperations and Efficiency Improvements at Reverse Osmosis PlantCurrent Capital Water Supply & Distribution Implementation ProgramsFuture Capital Water Supply & Distribution ProgramsDevelopment & Analysis of Financing, Cost of Water & Water RatesThe Hilton Head Public Service District has made difficult decisions in dealing with its water supply losses, planning and implementation programs. It now is approaching the final phases of planning and implementation. Our program can provide insight and possible solutions to others with coastal groundwater issues.We have truly seen the “Light at the End of the Tunnel”