More water is flowing in DeSoto County thanks to the completion of a $3.6 million pipeline.
The five-mile pipeline, known as the DeSoto County Regional Transmission System (RTS) Extension, connects the county to the Peace River/ Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority’s water treatment facility. This pipeline is part of a larger alternative water supply project that will allow for growth, while preserving groundwater supplies for existing agricultural users.
The District contributed $1.9 million toward the project, which was completed in conjunction with the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority.
District Governing Board member Patsy Symons, who participated in the pipeline dedication, described the project as a regional solution to a regional water supply problem.
“This region faces many water resource challenges. Finding solutions can be difficult, especially for smaller counties with limited financial resources, but working together we can conquer those challenges,” said Symons.
The RTS Extension consists of approximately five miles of 20-inch diameter pipeline and provides more than five million gallons of potable water per day from the Peace River facility to extended areas of DeSoto County. This pipeline will also be used for future expansion of the Peace River facility, interconnecting neighboring utilities within DeSoto and Charlotte counties.
“The ability to interconnect the pipeline with existing utilities in the future supports the District’s position on regionalizing water supply sources,” said Brian Armstrong, P.G., District project manager.
The project is a critical component of the District’s Southern Water Use Caution Area Recovery Strategy. The plan’s aim is to provide users in coastal areas, where there is the greatest threat of saltwater intrusion, with supply options that are an alternative to ground water.