Agenda - Planning Commission - 03/06/2014

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Sustainability "Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors," Dr. Jonas Salk once said. And that responsibility calls us to live and act sustainably. Sustainability means protecting our regional vitality for generations to come by preserving our capacity to maintain and support our region's well-being and productivity over the long-term. The region's investments in prosperity, equity and livability will fall short over the long term if the region exhausts its resources without investing in the future. Planning for sustainability means: • Promoting the wise use of water through expanding water conservation and reuse, increasing groundwater recharge, and optimizing surface water and groundwater use; • Providing leadership, information and technical assistance to support local governments' consideration of climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience; • Operating the region's wastewater treatment and transit systems sustainably. Promoting the wise use of water The Twin Cities metropolitan area is endowed with a relative abundance of high quality ground and surface water. Three major rivers, vast underground aquifers, and over 900 lakes make us the envy of urban areas the world over. Aside from the beauty and recreational value of the region's lakes and rivers, water is necessary to sustain our residents and our economic prosperity. The area's plentiful water supplies and the proximity of navigable rivers sustained indigenous communities and supported the development of the region's growing cities. The Mississippi River and the region's prolific aquifers continue to provide residents with a reliable water supply; our rivers are natural highways that serve commerce; our region's lakes, rivers, and streams nurture wildlife and offer people a variety of recreational opportunities. Yet our water supplies are not limitless. Population growth, development, localized water shortages, the impact of groundwater withdrawal on surface waters, contamination, and drought are affecting our future water supply. Increasing reliance on groundwater as our main source of drinking water has become a significant issue. In parts of the region, groundwater levels are declining. In some cases, it is affecting, or has the potential to affect, lake and wetland levels. A pressing concern is the impact that future development might have on the reliability of groundwater as a drinking water source. In 2010, 70% of our region's drinking water came from groundwater with the remainder coming from surface water sources. Groundwater analysis indicates that our aquifers are showing signs of depletion — water levels in some locations have declined by 40 feet in the last 40 years — which in turn has begun to have impacts on our lakes and wetlands in the region. Forecasts indicate that the region will add over 800,000 residents over the lifetime of this plan. Continuing current practices of using groundwater as a primary drinking water source will lead to continued depletion of groundwater supplies across the region. Conservation measures alone are