flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Saltwater incursion into Miami’s aquifer may make city uninhabitable later this century

Codes and Standards

Saltwater incursion into Miami’s aquifer may make city uninhabitable later this century

Rising sea levels likely to claim drinking water before land is under water.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | September 12, 2018

The Miami metro region faces crises due to rising sea levels that threaten to make the area uninhabitable.

While the danger of flooding has been widely documented, the threat to the region’s drinking water supply has been less chronicled. In fact, salt water incursion into the region’s aquifer could be what threatens Miami’s viability for human habitation before the doomsday scenario of inundation of the land by the sea.

The Biscayne Aquifer, 4,000 square miles of shallow, porous limestone, has provided the region with an abundant source of fresh water that is inexpensive to access. The aquifer’s characteristics that make it easily accessible also make it vulnerable to fouling by saltwater and pollution.

How long southeast Florida can keep its water safe may be the key determinant for the long term. “If Miami-Dade can’t protect its water supply, whether it can handle the other manifestations of climate change won’t matter,” observes a recent Bloomberg article.

“Projecting the pace of saltwater intrusion is fantastically complicated,” the article says. One factor that might help slow saltwater aquifer incursion, a massive, still-unfunded pledge to restore the Everglades by the state and federal government, is yet to be implemented.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Mar 5, 2019

Persistent flooding having economic impact on coastal cities

Atlantic City, Annapolis among communities affected.

Codes and Standards | Mar 1, 2019

$1 billion Boston hospital project to include extensive disaster resiliency features

Mass. General expansion will be designed for four days of shelter in place.

Codes and Standards | Mar 1, 2019

U.S. cities have become more dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians

Reduced speed limits, traffic calming, better education seen as keys to improvement.

Codes and Standards | Feb 28, 2019

High-income renters now the fastest-growing housing market segment

Growth is fastest in mid-sized cities with strong economies.

Codes and Standards | Feb 27, 2019

Katerra launches software platform for ‘entire lifecycle of the building process’

Firm is accepting industry applicants to test the product.

Codes and Standards | Feb 26, 2019

AAMA updates two specifications for test methods related to seismic drift

For evaluating window wall, curtain wall and storefront systems.

Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2019

Researchers develop software that can calculate potential solar energy yield at any location

Accounts for dynamic shading from trees, buildings and other structures.

Codes and Standards | Feb 20, 2019

Hospitals not making much progress in reducing their carbon footprint

Energy benchmarking survey shows flat emissions pattern over past 20 years.

Codes and Standards | Feb 15, 2019

Super Bowl stadium helps alleviate Atlanta’s flood problems

Capacity to store more than 2 million gallons of storm water on site.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021