East Pasco Water Coalition makes strides toward protecting water supply

ST. LEO — With an eye on protecting the future water supply, several east Pasco County municipalities banded together to share resources and information and to seek funds for conservation projects.

Representatives from Dade City, San Antonio, St. Leo and Zephyrhills have participated in the East Pasco Water Coalition since its creation last summer.

"It's great to talk about it in theory," said Brother James Hallett, the mayor of St. Leo and chairman of the coalition. "But how do we bring it down to reality and make something work?"

The first step toward that goal was achieved during the past month when the elected officials in the four municipalities signed a memorandum of agreement.

This allows them to apply for grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District as one entity, easing the burden on their relatively small staffs.

The water district will pay up to 50 percent of the cost of approved projects like installing low-flow toilets and faucet aerators. Eventually, the municipalities can pursue funds for reclaimed water projects and explore interconnecting their water supplies to share resources in case of an emergency.

"It's a very forward thinking approach. I think they recognize that if they work together they can share resources," said Ken Herd, water supply program director at Swiftmud. "It's a responsible effort as you plan your future water supply. They deserve a lot of credit."

The county is in what Swiftmud calls a "water use caution area," meaning studies have determined that the groundwater supply might not be enough to meet the area's demands as it grows during the next 20 years. Over-pumping is mostly to blame.

"Over half of our district is in water use caution areas," said district spokesperson Robyn Felix.

The coalition believes conservation efforts must be put in place now to protect the water supply.

"It certainly appealed to me to do it sooner rather than later," Hallett said.

Helen Anne Travis can be reached at htravis@sptimes.com or (813) 435-7312.