Commitment

Preservation

st johns river The St. Johns River is important to the entire region. It plays an important role in our quality of life, our economic vitality and our future water supplies. That’s why we will not engage in or support any activity that harms the ongoing health of the River.

Recognizing that the St. Johns River is a shared and valuable resource, Seminole County promises to work with the St. Johns River Water Management District to protect and preserve the River.

Conservation

We can all do more to conserve our limited water supplies. The cheapest water we can develop to meet our future needs is the water we save by conservation.

Seminole County has demonstrated stewardship and leadership by developing an aggressive water conservation program. It includes reuse, restrictions, education and enforcement. The program was recently recognized statewide, winning the 2008 Florida Water Environment Association Public Education Award.

Some of the specifics of Seminole County’s water conservation plan include:

A water conservation ordinance
An inverse block rate structure
Residential irrigation audits
A rain sensor program
A residential reclaimed retrofit program
Education programs that target schools, churches and other community groups.
A very active Water Enforcement Team

Some future ideas we’re looking at include once-a-week irrigation during droughts and an updated rate analysis to confirm the effectiveness of the current block rate structure. Additionally, we plan to pilot innovative water conservation technologies, such as intelligent irrigation systems, create demonstration projects with businesses, schools and others, and provide commercial audits and possibly even offer rebates with those audits.

But we know, to truly be effective, we must combine water conservation activities with a diversified water supply. When we do this, we effectively plan for the future — and protect the natural resources that make Florida special.

Participation

Seminole County has been actively involved with regional water supply planning since our early involvement in Water 2020 — and we will continue to work with the region on developing meaningful solutions that work for all of us. A sustainable solution to the water supply issues will maximize conservation and reuse while also using a combination of ground water, surface water and seawater.

Our region needs a sustainable water supply plan that provides much-needed water, protects our groundwater supplies and preserves the River’s ecosystem. But we must work together toward reasonable solutions that are both environmentally and economically sound. We feel the Yankee Lake project is one such solution.

The Yankee Lake Project has been studied and is supported by sound scientific data and analysis. The St. Johns River Water Management District’s scientists have determined that there will be not be any adverse impacts to the St. Johns River as a result of this project. Still, the plan is being challenged. We believe the attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the challengers in opposing this project would be better spent working cooperatively with the St. Johns River Water Management District and Seminole County in scientific studies and developing meaningful plans for conserving water.

Now that you have the facts, we hope you will support our project.