City consultant warns of potential raw-water shortfall; Tamarac planning board recommends water-supply amendment

The Tamarac Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the City Commission transmit Ordinance 26-30, which adopts the city's updated water-supply facilities work plan and corresponding comprehensive-plan amendments.

Stephanie Bortz, project manager for CHA Consulting Inc., told the board the work plan is a 10-year planning document designed to ensure the city identifies sufficient potable-water supply and infrastructure to serve existing and future development. She said the plan uses conservative per-capita assumptions (105 gallons per capita per day for finished water) and a max-day multiplier derived from recent operating reports.

Bortz said the city's treatment plant is permitted to treat up to 20,000,000 gallons per day and that the South Florida Water Management District has assigned Tamarac an annual average allocation of 8,470,000 gallons per day. ‘‘Based on the values we used, we are projecting a deficit approaching 2,035 of your raw water source,’’ she said, phrasing the projection as it appears in the consultant materials. She emphasized the numbers are planning-level and conservative compared with the city's historical per-capita use, which has not exceeded roughly 95 gallons per capita for finished water.

Earl Henry, interim director for public services, described near-complete deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) as part of the city's response. "That project will introduce AMI meters which will give a better reflection of what is being used," Henry said, adding that real-time access to usage is intended to support public education and conservation measures.

Staff and the consultant outlined options the city could pursue before the projected shortfall materializes: request a modification to the permanent allocation from the South Florida Water Management District, pursue alternative water supplies, revise level-of-service assumptions, or expand conservation programs.

The planning board moved and seconded to make a favorable recommendation to the City Commission on Ordinance 26-30; the motion passed 4-0.

The ordinance and the work plan will be transmitted to the Department of Commerce and other required reviewing agencies for state and regional review as part of the comprehensive-plan amendment process. The planning board hearing record and the consultant's technical materials will accompany the transmittal.

What happens next: The Planning Board's favorable recommendation goes to the City Commission for final action and to any other agencies required for review. The work plan notes that staff will continue to refine assumptions and that a range of conservation and permitting steps are available if future demand proves higher than historical trends.