Rock pits could solve water goals, utilities say

The rock quarry that solved West Palm Beach's recent drought emergency could become the drinking water source that helps guarantee South Florida's ability to nearly double its population, utility directors say.

Tapping its full potential, however, may require water customers to pay hundreds of millions to a company entangled in former County Commissioner Tony Masilotti's corruption case.

It also may test the ability of Broward and Palm Beach county politicians to cooperate on fundamental questions of growth, money and the environment, as they contemplate how to pay for such a massive public works project.

"Palm Beach County residents could find themselves subsidizing Broward's growth," said Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus. "The question should be, how do we have a natural system and not charge existing residents to pay for future development?"

Palm Beach Aggregates made $188 million in 2004 selling about a third of its 3,400-acre property to the South Florida Water Management District, to serve as a 14.6 billion-gallon reservoir for environmental projects. Home builder Lennar agreed to buy another third for a home project that it's now trying to cancel.

The pits have proven most valuable so far to West Palm Beach. In May, the city drew 600 million gallons to keep its water supply from falling critically low. The water was slightly salty, so it was diluted, blended with treated sewer water and sprayed onto the ground above the city's well field.

Water managers were readying the rock pits to catch rainy-season storm water for use in dry times. The water was to go to northern Palm Beach County wetlands and the brackish northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River, not water utilities. But as drinking water becomes increasingly scarce, utilities want to know if there's also enough water to fill their glasses on a regular basis.
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