Water supply
Water Protection and Sustainability Program
Program overview
The Florida Water Protection and Sustainability Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 2005. The purpose of the program is to provide cost-share funding for the construction of alternative water supply projects. The St. Johns River Water Management District may provide up to 40 percent of construction costs. The entity constructing the project shall be required to pay at least 60 percent of the project construction costs. Since 2005, the District has provided $95.7 million on 39 projects that have total costs of $703.7 million. The program received minimal funding from the Legislature in fiscal year (FY) 2010–2011 and has no funding allocated for FY 2011–2012.
Project eligibility
When funding is available, projects must meet certain eligibility criteria. First, projects must be identified in the District’s District Water Supply Plan (DWSP) before they can be considered for cost-share funding. For projects to be considered eligible for inclusion in the DWSP, the water produced from the projects must contribute to the solution of projected water supply problems in the priority water resource caution area (PWRCA), or the implementation of the project is needed to keep a geographic area from being identified as a PWRCA.
The identification of projects in the DWSP does not guarantee funding assistance through this program. Projects will be evaluated for cost-share funding based on consideration of the 14 factors (below) described in 373.707(8)(f) and (g), Florida Statutes (2011). Also, the District may add evaluation factors as appropriate. District staff will evaluate the potential projects and recommend projects; the District’s Governing Board will select the projects for funding under the program.
It is anticipated that the DWSP will be updated to include new projects identified by the District and local governments from ongoing water supply planning efforts and from requests by water supply entities.
For more information about project consideration for inclusion in the DWSP, contact Tom Bartol, director of the Bureau of Water Supply, at (386) 312-2304 or by email at tbartol@sjrwmd.com.
Factors to be considered in project selection for cost-share funding
Recommendations by District staff and decisions by the Governing Board on project eligibility, project selection and project funding levels will be based on the factors described in 373.707 (8)(f) and (g), Florida Statutes (2011). Additional factors, as deemed appropriate, may apply.
Factors described in 373.707(8)(f) and (g), Florida Statutes (2011):
- Whether the project provides substantial environmental benefits by preventing or limiting adverse water resource impacts
- Whether the project reduces competition for water supplies
- Whether the project brings about replacement of traditional sources in order to help implement a minimum flow or level or a reservation
- Whether the project will be implemented by a consumptive use permittee that has achieved the targets contained in the goal-based water conservation program approved pursuant to F.S. 323.227
- The quantity of water supplied by the project as compared to its cost
- Projects in which the construction and delivery to end users of reuse water is a major component
- Whether the project will be implemented by a multijurisdictional water supply entity or regional water supply authority
- Whether the project implements reuse that assists in the elimination of domestic wastewater ocean outfalls as provided in F.S. 403.086(9)
- Whether the county or municipality, or the multiple counties or municipalities, in which the project is located has implemented a high water recharge protection tax assessment program as provided in F.S. 193.625
- Whether the project is part of a plan to implement two or more alternative water supply projects, all of which will be operated to produce water at a uniform rate for the participants in a multijurisdictional water supply entity or regional water supply authority
- The percentage of project costs to be funded by the water supplier or water user
- Whether the project proposal includes sufficient preliminary planning and engineering to demonstrate that the project can reasonably be implemented within the timeframes provided in the regional water supply plan
- Whether the project is a subsequent phase of an alternative water supply project that is underway
- Whether and in what percentage a local government or local government utility is transferring water supply system revenues to the local government general fund in excess of reimbursements for services received from the general fund, including direct and indirect costs and legitimate payments in lieu of taxes
Additional factors to be considered
While the statutory factors cover many of the aspects relevant to meeting the District’s goals, several additional factors will be considered:
- Construction start date and construction duration — To determine when funding should be allocated from existing and expected program revenues
- Endorsement of county-level planning efforts — To determine if the project meets the collective needs of the water users. The District is committed to regional water supply planning and cooperative efforts to develop alternative water supply projects formulated through county-level planning efforts.
- Type of project — Projects that utilize new sources of water (brackish groundwater, seawater, surface water) will be considered for higher funding levels than reclaimed water projects
Additional information
For more information, contact Tom Bartol, director of the Bureau of Water Supply, at (386) 312-2304 or by email at tbartol@sjrwmd.com.
Updated on 1-6-2012
