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

WATER, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

SALT LAKE CITY’S APPROACH

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
• Reservoirs
• Groundwater

55% 10% 35%

Sources of Water (average year)

Streams Groundwater Reservoirs

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 Educa:on and Engagement Land Use and Water Supply Regula:ons Public-private partnerships for monitoring, restora:on, educa:on Watershed Restora:on Watershed Monitoring – water quality and land use

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

Monitor and model the water system and climate change impacts Make decisions based

• n both seasonal and

mul:-year :me scales Improve and maintain infrastructure Coordinate with other water agencies and governments Make opera:onal and policy changes

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