W ATER , P UBLIC H EALTH , AND C LIMATE C HANGE S ALT L AKE C ITY S - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

W ATER , P UBLIC H EALTH , AND C LIMATE C HANGE S ALT L AKE C ITY ’ S A PPROACH Laura Briefer Director, Salt Lake City Department of Public U:li:es October 26, 2016

Salt Lake City Department of Public U:li:es • Public water supplier to 350,000 people • Stormwater and sewer service to 190,000 people

Salt Lake City’s Current Water Sources • Streams Sources of Water (average year) • Reservoirs Streams Groundwater • Groundwater Reservoirs 35% 55% 10%

Intersec:on of Water, Climate, and Public Health • Clean water • Water availability • Current and future genera:ons

Climate Change Vulnerabili:es for Salt Lake City’s Water Resources • Precipita:on change or uncertainty • Snowpack decrease • Earlier runoff :ming • Decrease in water quan:ty • Increase in water demand • Water quality degrada:on • Drought intensifica:on • Catastrophic fire

Adapta:on Strategy #1: Enhance Water Quality Protec:on • Use a “mul:-barrier” approach for protec:ng water from pollu:on 1. Headwaters protec:on and management 2. Water treatment process 3. Distribu:on system 4. Water quality monitoring

Salt Lake City’s Headwater Protec:on Model Land Conserva:on $1.5 million/year from SLC water bills Public Watershed Watershed Educa:on and Monitoring – water Engagement quality and land use Watershed Land Use and Water Restora:on Supply Regula:ons Public-private partnerships for monitoring, restora:on, educa:on

Adapta:on Strategy #2: Adap:ve Water Supply Management • Know water vulnerabili:es • Engage the public • Account for uncertain:es • Plan for short and long term :me horizons

Salt Lake City’s Adap:ve Water Supply Management Model Diversify water sources Make opera:onal Monitor and and policy model the water changes system and climate change impacts Coordinate with other water agencies and governments Make decisions based on both seasonal and mul:-year :me scales Improve and maintain infrastructure

Adapta:on Strategy #3: Expect (and learn from) the Unexpected • Summer 2016 unprecedented algal bloom on Utah Lake • Toxic algae posed significant health risk • Utah Lake source water could not be used for irriga:on for two weeks

Thank You Laura Briefer, MPA Director Salt Lake City Department of Public U:li:es laura.briefer@slcgov.com