Marco’s Drinking Water is Secure, Despite Dry Year

Southwest Florida is experiencing an abnormally to moderately dry season in 2023, while the region from Venice north to St. Petersburg is experiencing extreme drought conditions. In addition to being dry this last spring and summer, temperatures have been abnormally warm.

Collier County is approximately 12 inches below normal rainfall for this time of year. Yet, Marco Island is prepared to deal with dry spells like this because of the proactive preparations it has taken over the last decade or more. The city’s utility department has actively prepared for potential rain shortfalls that may occur due to a myriad of reasons, and especially in the case of draught conditions.

The city’s “ace in the hole” to deal with water shortages began shortly after the city’s acquisition of the existing water system from Florida Water Services on November 7, 2003. The city began an aggressive plan for engineering a system to install a series of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells at Marco Lakes, which serves as the city’s primary source of drinking water, in an effort to prepare for potential water shortages.  

During our normal rainy season, which runs from mid-June to the end of November, the Henderson Creek Canal keeps the Marco Lakes with an adequate supply of fresh water. This is due to the high inflow of stormwater that flows down Henderson Creek to the Marco Lakes. 

The city also holds a reservoir of fresh water below the surface in seven underground ASR wells that lie between 735 to 770 feet below grade.

The system took a decade to engineer, design, test and receive permitting before it was eventually brought online and was able to provide the product the city was seeking. The city’s system of ASR wells has received a considerable amount of attention both nationally and internationally.

Marco’s ASR system occupies 205 acres, which includes two freshwater lakes and the motors, piping, pumps and other equipment needed to move water from the lakes to a line of seven storage wells located 735 feet to 770 feet underground and to the city. The wells are bordered on the top and bottom by layers of clay and separated by layers of porous rock.

“All the water is stormwater run-off from Henderson Creek. The creek passes by the lakes and then goes to a weir at (U.S.) 41, where that freshwater source is lost to brackish water and goes to the Gulf of Mexico. So, we’re able to capture the freshwater when it’s plentiful, when it’s raining and we have a lot of water, and then during our time of need, during the summer when we haven’t had any rain, we’re able to pull it up out of the ground and supply our community.” said Marco Utilities General Manager Jeff Poteet.