Governing Board Affirms Judge's Decision: Yankee Lake Project Moves Forward
Most of Florida has relied on groundwater for many years because the quality is good, it is plentiful and it’s inexpensive to treat. Unfortunately, this approach has led to an overreliance on just one source — the Floridan aquifer. This over-reliance is now putting our aquifers, springs, lakes and environment at risk.
The St. Johns River Water Management District is responsible for managing and regulating the water resources in Northeast Florida — from Jacksonville to Orlando. Their goal is to protect the natural system while providing for existing and future reasonable water demands. To manage the risk to our environment, the St. Johns River Water Management District has mandated the diversification of our water resources. Starting in 2013 new or increased groundwater withdrawals will not be permitted in Central Florida, and water users will be required to develop alternative water supply sources to meet their needs. Similar restrictions will probably be imposed in the northern half of the Water Management District within the next few years.
After nearly 15 years of collaborative discussion and scientific studies, the St. Johns River Water Management District has concluded that the St. John’s River can serve as an alternative water supply source to meet future water needs. The plan to use the River without adverse environmental impact is based on sound science and cooperation among regional partners.
Because our groundwater has always been plentiful, we’ve never really had to consider using surface water. However, most communities throughout the United States use river water as their primary water supply because they do not have access to quality groundwater.
One of the first proposals to use the St. Johns River as an alternative water supply is a request made by Seminole County to use about one-quarter of 1 percent of the flow in the River. Initially, this water will support Seminole County’s reclaimed water irrigation system, but it will eventually meet the future potable water needs of its customers. In fact, once the project is fully implemented, about 80 percent of the water will be used for drinking water and the remaining 20 percent will be used for reclaimed water irrigation.
For nearly five years, our plan has been studied by private consultants and by the staff at the St. Johns River Water Management District. The project is supported by sound scientific data and analysis. However, despite all our work and studies, our proposal is being challenged by other local governments and advocacy groups. These challenges will unnecessarily waste taxpayers’ money in legal fees and other litigation-related costs, and will delay a project that protects our groundwater, wetlands, lakes, and springs, and provides the public with affordable drinking water.
We’ve developed this Web site to share our plan to both use and protect the river. We want you to understand our project and support it.
