Saving a fragile economic cog will cost hundreds of millions

A new law will prompt billions of dollars in public spending and raise water bills to end a long-standing pollution problem affecting Florida's coral reefs.

Ocean outfalls, or pipes, that discharge partially treated sewage water into the Atlantic Ocean will soon be a thing of the past, but the price will be steep. Broward County has estimated the transition will cost $400 million to $900 million over the next 18 years.

South Florida has six municipal treatment facilities - the Miami-Dade Central District, Miami-Dade North District, city of Hollywood, Broward County, Boca Raton and Delray Beach - that discharge treated wastewater to the ocean.

The 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, held July 7-11 in Fort Lauderdale, is helping focus attention on the importance of the reef ecosystem. The gathering of the world's leading ocean scientists happens once every four years.

A state study of Florida's natural and artificial reefs showed reef-related expenditures generate $6.3 billion in sales and income and sustain more than 71,000 jobs annually in fields such as fishing and scuba charters.

Gov. Charlie Crist used the forum to sign a bill on July 8 that requires local municipalities to develop a detailed plan by 2013 to eliminate outfalls as a primary method of disposal by 2025. The law also prohibits new or expanded pipes on Florida's southeastern coast.

A 2006 University of Florida study indicated increased water costs of eliminating ocean outfalls, would be an average of $2.64 per 1,000 gallons. A household using 7,500 gallons of water per month would pay $19.80 more each month.

The new law restricting outfalls calls for 60 percent of the water previously discharged from these outfalls to be beneficially reused.

But, water demand and the supply of partially treated water aren't in the same locations.

Liana Talaue McManus, a marine scientist at the University of Miami, said the coral reefs need more attention.

"There's a shortage of information and monitoring," she said. "It's difficult to justify saving the reef, if you can't show the net benefit."

McManus said the sewage outfalls and poorly designed beach renourishment programs are two major local threats to the reef.

The barrier reef off the Florida coast is the third-largest in the world.

But, a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released at the symposium said nearly half of U.S. coral reef ecosystems are considered to be in "poor" or "fair" condition, including Florida's. The report said overfishing is a key threat in Florida.

A featured scientist at the symposium warned that climate change could damage the life-support system for reefs and oceans.

"If greenhouse gas emissions are not brought down, the whole range of species in the reef ecosystem is at great risk," said Philip Munday, ofJames Cook University in Australia.

Other presenters said the rising acidity of ocean waters due to increasing carbon levels actually could dissolve existing corals.

Other local projects that could affect the reef system include a proposal by Suez Energy to build a deepwater port for delivery of liquid natural gas. That plan is being evaluated under contract by researchers at Nova Southeastern University, who also attended the symposium.

Richard Dodge, dean of NSU's Oceanographic Center, said he believes Suez's plan for drilling a pipeline under the reef is environmentally friendly.

"It goes completely under the reefs. But, of course, the tunneling process has to be watched closely," he said in an interview.

Research is ongoing to determine the impact of shipping activities on fish plankton.

Proposals for offshore drilling on Florida's Gulf Coast must be evaluated to develop plans for possible petroleum spills, even though the main target is natural gas, he said.

One local business that understands the value of coral reefs is Fort Lauderdale's Resolve Marine Group, an exhibitor at the symposium. The company displayed its reef restoration technology, which uses ceramic spikes to start new coral growth on the sea bottom.