A twenty-year water supply plan for the Central Florida region is one step closer to the finish line, following the St. Johns River Water Management District’s approval of the plan Wednesday. Two other water management districts are expected to approve the plan this month.
The plan is a collaborative effort from the Central Florida Water Initiative, which aims to sustainably manage water resources for a region where the boundaries of Florida’s three largest water management districts come together. The CFWI addresses water needs in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Polk and southern Lake counties.
According to the plan, “declines in groundwater levels, spring flows, river flows, lake levels, and wetlands quality have occurred as a result of groundwater development … Therefore, additional alternatives to fresh groundwater need to be developed and implemented to meet the projected water demands.”
By the year 2045, the region will be short on groundwater by about 96 million gallons a day (MGD), according to the plan. That figure is based on projections of future water demand and population growth.
To stop the anticipated groundwater shortfall from becoming a drinking water shortage, Central Florida will need to rely more on alternative water sources over the next 20 years. The water supply plan currently being finalized outlines a variety of different alternative water projects that, collectively, could ultimately treat, store or produce about 514 MGD of water.
Surface water projects make up the biggest chunk of that amount, nearly 279 MGD. Those projects involve withdrawing water from waterbodies like the St. Johns River and certain lakes.
After surface water projects, reclaimed water projects are expected to make up the second-largest amount of water, about 130 MGD. Reclaimed water is wastewater that’s treated and recycled for a specific use. Although reclaimed water is not currently used for drinking in Florida, state rules are now in place to allow for it.
The District has been able to successfully navigate challenges involved with managing water resources for such a rapidly-growing region, District Executive Director Mike Register said Wednesday.
“For the last ten years or so, actual groundwater use has remained relatively constant, even though population has gone up significantly over that time period,” said District Executive Director Mike Register.
“Although groundwater sources are limited,” it is still possible to sustainably meet the region’s current and future water demands through 2045, according to the plan.
The CFWI’s regional water supply plan is updated every five years. This is the second time the plan has been updated since the first iteration in 2015.
“I would just like to say it was a job well done, and it's well thought out,” said District Secretary J. Chris Peterson. “This is an ongoing process, and very soon this whole process starts all over again for the 2030 plan. So this is a living thing that we deal with.”
