New grant funding is on the way for projects to boost water quality and supply across the state, including $100 million for 25 projects to help the Indian River Lagoon, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday at a press conference in Palm Bay.
In all, more than $389 million was awarded for water projects this grant cycle, including $55 million for alternative water supply projects, DeSantis said.
Alternative water supply projects are designed to help meet future water demands when traditional water supplies, like groundwater, are constrained, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
“We've got a lot of water issues in Florida that we deal with. Making sure we have adequate water supply is sometimes overlooked, but it's something that's important,” DeSantis said.
Often, alternative water supply projects will involve water reuse: treating and disinfecting wastewater; then using that reclaimed water for a beneficial purpose, like irrigation. Five of the 14 alternative water projects to receive funding this cycle will involve using reclaimed water to help offset the use of drinking water.
Two of those reclaimed water projects selected for funding are in Central Florida, where most of the state’s beneficial water reuse projects are currently based, according to the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Meanwhile, among the 25 lagoon projects are 16 projects based in Central Florida, including two that will receive a collective $11.4 million in state grant funds for septic-to-sewer conversions at Silver Sands, a condominium complex in New Smyrna Beach.
That pair of projects represents the largest lagoon investment in Central Florida during this grant cycle, followed by a $9.2 million project to convert septic tank users in North Merritt Island over to a centralized sewer system.
Septic-to-sewer conversions have been one key focus of Brevard County’s Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL), a taxpayer-funded program to help restore the precious estuary system to better health. That ten-year program funded by a half-cent sales tax will end after next year, unless Brevard voters get a chance to vote to renew it.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert joined DeSantis in Palm Bay Tuesday, thanking him for “proactive investments” she said he’s made in clean water throughout his administration.
For the forthcoming fiscal year, the governor’s proposed budget includes $550 million to advance water quality improvements and $60 million to expand alternative water supplies. Once funding becomes available and FDEP opens its grant portal this summer, Florida communities should apply for those funds, Lambert said Tuesday.
“Florida's economy, the recreation opportunities we enjoy as residents and our visitors, and our identity as a state depend on water resources,” Lambert said.
