MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

N081
City of North Port Brackish Groundwater Exploration
Project Type Cooperative Funding
AOR(s)
Water Supply
Basin(s) Manasota
Cooperator(s)
Project Manager KELLEY, MIKE
Task Manager(s)
Status Cancelled
City of North Port - Public Utilities
Description
This project is a brackish groundwater exploration and test of the feasibility of developing a brackish groundwater
supply. It is located in the northeast area of the City known as the Kelce Ranch. The location in southeastern Sarasota
County is in the southern portion of the SWUCA. The intent of the program is to investigate the geology and
hydrogeology in this area to define water quality and aquifer characteristics within both the surficial, intermediate and
upper Floridan aquifer systems through construction of wells at three sites. These three sites are midway between
ROMP 9 and ROMP 9.5 monitor well sites. The data collected from this test well program will add to our understanding
of the geology and hydrology of southeastern Sarasota county. The City may request additional funding in future years
to implement the project's water treatment facility and infrastructure.
Benefits
Based upon the geohydrologic data obtained, new production wells into the intermediate or upper Floridan aquifer
system could be constructed to disperse pumping in this region while providing a groundwater source for the City
which is necessary to mitigate the seasonality and sustainability of the Myakkahatchee Creek surface water treatment
system. These production wells will also provide a back-up supply to the regional system through existing
interconnections with the Authority and Charlotte County.
Costs
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $1,736,600. The District's funding commitment is requested to be 50
percent of eligible project costs not to exceed $867,800. The Basin's share of the project is requested to be provided
as follows: $367,800 in the FY2009 budget year and $500,000 in FY2010. The City of North Port needs to budget
additional dollars in future years to implement water supply development that would result in additional supplies being
available
Additional Information
Due to the dramatic changes in water quality between the two ROMP sites (9 and 9.5), it is important to clearly
understand the water quality and geologic changes across the site. Each site would include two test wells and two
monitor wells: one test and one monitor well will be completed into permeable zone 3 (PZ-3) of the intermediate and
one test and one monitor well will completed into the surficial aquifer. The intermediate aquifer system is
discontinuous and heterogeneous in nature. The northeastern most site will have two additional Upper Floridan wells.
Aquifer performance tests will be run at each site in the intermediate and surficial aquifers. Additionally, exploration of
the Avon Park formation will provide hydrogeologic and water quality profiles at one site in the Upper Floridan Aquifer
System. A seven day aquifer performance test will be run in the Avon Park to get aquifer characteristics that are not
available at ROMP 9.5. Since there is over a 6 mile distance between the outermost wells, this project would help
detect where the water quality of the Floridan aquifer begins to diminish. Initial drilling would commence at the site
closest to ROMP 9.5 and proceed sequentially along a southwesterly transect towards ROMP 9.0. The Floridan well
would be drilled first to provide initial hydrogeologic data for construction of the subsequent PZ-3 and surficial wells at
each site. The City of North Port currently relies primarily on surface water from the Myakkahatchee Creek and
Cocoplum Waterway as their primary source of potable supply. In addition the City receives supply from the Peace
River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.
021 - Manasota Basin 332