Freeze Event Workshop

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Hillsborough Community College - Plant City Campus

Tonight’s Workshop

Receive community input from all interested parties

Agenda:

Introductions

Review what happened

Consider what changes are needed

First of a minimum of three workshops

Goal : Have any necessary revisions to regulations and

other strategies in place before next winter

What Happened?

January 3 – 13, 2010

Unprecedented Frost/Freeze Event

11 nights below 34 degrees in Dover / Plant City area

Daily Temperature Ranges

60 Degrees

34 Degrees

Nights below 34 F

Occurrences in 79 years

Occurrences per year

Occurrences per Century

1 237 3.00 300.00

2 135 1.71 170.89

3 46 0.58 58.23

4 5 0.06 6.33

5 5 0.06 6.33

6 3 0.04 3.80

11 1 0.01 1.27

FROST/FREEZE PROTECTION

Decades-Long Accepted Water Use Practice

Extensively Researched by UF-IFAS

Heat Released as 70 Degree Ground Water Converts to Ice

Takes Thousands of Gallons Per Hour Per Acre

Permitted Quantities in the Dover / Plant City Area:

• About 948 Million Gallons Per Day for Frost/Freeze Protection

• About 37 Million Gallons Per Day for Average Day Irrigation

• About 60 Million Gallons Per Day Average Day Total Permitted (All Uses)

Groundwater Levels – Dover/Plant City

Estimated

Monitor Well

Extended

Strategy: Domestic Well Standards

Wells Cased to 147 Feet

Wells Cased to 105 Feet

New Well

Casing

Standards

Implemented

in 2002

Strategy: Designated Mitigation

Strategy: FAWN Financial Support

Florida

Automated

Weather

Network

• Temperature

• Humidity

• Other Weather Data

• Cold Protection Tools

• Partnership with FDACS

• Cost-share reimbursement

• Promotes BMPs

• 8 strawberry projects

Strategy: FARMS Projects

Groundwater Levels – Dover/Plant City

Groundwater Levels – Dover/Plant City

Groundwater Levels – Dover/Plant City

Feet

0-5

5-10

10-1

5

15-2

0

20-2

5

25-3

0

30-3

5

35-4

0

40-4

5

45-5

0

50-5

5

55-6

0

60-6

5

Maximum Drawdown

during Freeze Event

of January 3–13, 2010

With Reported

Sinkholes

Sinkhole Repair

Interstate 4

85 Sinkholes Investigated

24 Roadway Related

Feet

0-5

5-10

10-1

5

15-2

0

20-2

5

25-3

0

30-3

5

35-4

0

40-4

5

45-5

0

50-5

5

55-6

0

60-6

5

Maximum Drawdown

during Freeze Event

of January 3–13, 2010

With Reported Well

Complaints

748 Complaints

in Hillsborough

County

Well Complaint Response Process- District Staff Actions -

Collect pertinent information from Well Owner

Explain response process

Encourage Well Owner to get temporary water supply

Share fire station location information for free water

Determine which Permit Holder is responsible

Send letter to Permit Holder within 24 hours

800-836-0797 or 813-985-7481

Well Complaint Response Process- Responsible Permit Holder -

After receiving notification letter from the District:

Must contact Well Owner within 48 hours

Must provide potable water within 72 hours

Must address complaint within 15 days

Multiple-Complaint Referrals

Number of Referrals Permit Holders

More than 100 dry well complaints 1

50-100 dry well complaints 2

25-49 dry well complaints 2

10-24 dry well complaints 9

2-9 dry well complaints 22

1 dry well complaint 13

• Data as of 02/16/2010: 36 of 49 permit holders had multiple complaints• These permit holders represent 78% of all complaints• Also represent 98% of all permit-related complaints

Well StatusMitigation

Area

Outside

Mitigation Total Percent

Still out of service 6 1 7 1.1 %

Well came back on own 254 36 290 44.3 %

Required minor repair 47 10 57 8.7 %

Required major repair 201 42 243 37.2 %

New well drilled 20 6 26 4.0 %

Other 25 6 31 4.7 %

TOTAL RESPONSES 553 101 654 100 %

TOTAL COMPLAINTS 638 110 748

As of 02/16/2010

What Changes Are Needed?

Well Construction Standards

Water Use Permitting

Other Strategies

Well Construction Standards

Domestic Well Standards

Well depth

Pump depth

Low pressure protection

Are current standards providing adequate protection?

Are there possible improvements to implementation?

Production Well Standards

Water Use Permitting

Can additional frost/freeze ground water quantities be

issued in the Dover / Plant City area?

Is the current procedure for identifying the responsible

Permit Holder equitable? What are the alternatives?

Are there ways to improve the management of water

use during frost/freeze events?

Other Strategies

What else can be done to address existing domestic wells

(City/County system hook-up, well replacement rebates)?

How practical are high tunnels, and other current

alternatives to groundwater use for crop protection?

How to promote practical alternatives (such as additional

opportunities to implement FARMS projects )?