Former head of DEP talks climate change, aging infrastructure

Water is one of Florida’s most abundant natural resources. It’s a crucial one that impacts the environment and other important industries in our economy, but it’s also being depleted and polluted.

People flock to Southwest Florida for its boating, beaches, swimming, fishing, and food.

Tourism is tops in the area and helping to fuel the fun, is o
ur waterways.

 But take that away and what’s left?

Noah Valenstein‘s a presidential fellow and instructor at FGCU’s The Water School. He explained, “We enjoy having vibrant, robust economies and communities next to an amazing natural resource, and that’s part of the amazing part of Florida. It makes it really difficult, though, to coexist and keep our environment protected. It’s never going to be the way it was 100 years ago, we’ve got to create our new perfection, right?

”

Valenstein served under two governors and is the former head of the Department of Environmental Protection.

We asked him about the biggest issues facing southwest Florida and where we go from here.
 “I think it changes daily,” he answered “Florida’s got to grapple with aged infrastructure. I mean, we’ve got sewer mains and lines that break all over.”

One recent instance was in Charlotte County on February, 23, where 100,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into a neighborhood, along with 20,000 gallons into a nearby drainage canal.

“As the groundwater table changes, then you’re going to have more inflow and infiltration to those pipes, the system won’t work as well, you’ll have more ruptures like the one you covered

.”

And then there’s climate change.

Valenstein added, “You have business communities, you have parents, you have others, all of whom are seeing changes in weather patterns, recognizing that sea-level rise is real, and that when you live on the coast, that’s something we need to pay attention to and plan, right? … We all recognize, well, this is a conversation we have to have. And I think sort of that shift is the same thing that you saw on water quality is that everyone recognizes that this is important.

”

He feels that students right now will fuel the conversation to protect our future.
 “
50 years ago, you certainly didn’t have classes thinking about these innovative solutions of green, gray infrastructure where you have mangroves intentionally being planted. Newly constructed reefs going out with those mangroves, new ways to protect our shorelines.
”

In addition to teaching courses, Valenstein’s assists the university with water policy and how to work with other schools around the state.