Posted on Tue, Jun. 04, 2013 Creating a world-class water system It’s been more than five years since the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) approved Miami-Dade County’s Consumptive Water Use Permit. This allowed Miami-Dade to use about 76 million more gallons of water a day to keep up with our population growth, which was estimated to grow from 2.4 million to 2.7 million by 2027. During that time, I was an appointed member of the SFWMD Governing Board and recall the many skeptics who believed that once Miami-Dade got its permit the county would go on with business as usual without regard to our natural resources, infrastructure needs, aging infrastructure, further affecting our water supply. But Miami-Dade proved those skeptics wrong. In a short period of time, the Water and Sewer Department has been able to lower consumption simply by promoting conservation. In fact, Miami-Dade County’s efforts have had a positive impact on our resources. Since 2007, residents and visitors have helped conserve almost 8.5 million gallons a day, resulting in a record decline in consumption from 158 gallons to 134 gallons per capita a day. These conservation efforts have proven the department’s ability to manage our resources and have motivated the recent commitment of Miami-Dade’s mayor and commissioners to financially invest in our water and sewer systems. They recognize the urgent need to update our aging infrastructure and invest to sustain and prepare for the future of our burgeoning community after recovering from the wake of a historic economic downturn. As we move forward issuing bonds and raising water rates, we should look long and hard into our future. Make smart investments in new technologies, establish an ongoing plan to fund the operations and maintenance of our water system and take climate change, including rising sea levels, seriously, thereby creating a resilient world-class water system. Our economic future depends on it. It is important to work toward reassuring taxpayers that these increases to our water bills are worth it. This can be done by instituting appropriate measures; establishing accountability, transparency and oversight over the procurement process; and informing the public of our progress. These investments will provide real opportunities for local companies and the workforce. Residents, visitors and businesses looking to locate in Miami-Dade County will benefit greatly from creating such a plan. Irela M. Bagué, former member, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, Miami Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/04/v-print/3433266/creating-a-world-class-water-system.html#storylink=cpy