Palatka, FL – Jacksonville finally made its voice heard on Tuesday to those in charge of doling out water to fast-growing Central Florida, after three years of trying to be included in a regional plan that could affect the St. Johns River.
The board of the St. Johns River Water Management District approved the plan, but added caveats. One is that Jacksonville be included in future talks, and two, that St. Johns River water withdrawals would occur “only as a last resort.” Until now, St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman said her input has “fallen on deaf ears.” But Rinaman’s and other environmentalists’ advocacy on behalf of the river, combined with statements of public opposition from several governmental agencies in Jacksonville, appears to have made an impact on the Governing Board.
“I want to congratulate you,” joked Jacksonville resident Dr. Gary Bowers during public comment. “This plan has managed to unite government and the environmentalists in North Florida,” he said.
The metro Orlando area won’t have enough water to continue to support its projected 50% growth rate over the next 20 years, so Florida statute requires the water management districts to come up with a plan for alternative sources. Counties from three districts will be affected (the South Florida, Southwest Florida, and St. Johns River districts), and together with other state agencies, they’ve come up with an almost 1,000 page plan that identifies 150 alternative sources of water, from desalinization plants to tapping the St. Johns River.
The board approved the plan, known as the Central Florida Water Initiative, by a vote of 7 – 1. The dissenting vote came from board member George Robbins, a Jacksonville businessman.
Robbins has questioned all along the district’s projected amount of water use for existing customers. He says it’s an outdated number and is too high – use has actually been trending down thanks to successful conservation efforts by residents, business and agriculture.
“The population in the last 20 years has grown by 50%, while use has dropped by 5%,” said Robbins. He said starting the model with a too-high figure makes the projected use by 2035 “egregiously inflated.” Since cities and utilities will be required to plan for the water shortfall, Robbins is worried that an “implied liability” will cause concern among municipal bond holders, and could negatively affect bond ratings.
District staff said the number used is an average of actual water use between 2005 and 2010, but acknowledges water use has dropped since 2010. However, they say the model had to be cut off somewhere in order to get the plan done, and the requirement to update the plan every five years will allow for corrections.
Robbins had praise for the overall plan, which has taken 10 years to complete at a cost of $25 million dollars, but wanted the numbers updated before approving it.
Four entities need to approve the plan to make it final – the three water management districts whose regions for the projected water shortfall overlap, and the Steering Committee, which is composed of the districts plus several other state agencies. The Steering Committee voted two weeks ago to approve the plan, but added a requirement to update the numbers within two years.
Other board members of the St. Johns district agreed with Robbins’ concerns, but voted for approval anyway while echoing the Steering Committee’s requirement for updating.
Importantly, the board also added a resolution to include Jacksonville in future talks, and to ask that water withdrawals from the St. Johns River be used “only as a last resort.”
Audubon representative Chris Fuller said the approval with caveats was “tentatively promising.” Audubon had asked the board to double the amount of conservation in the plan and to take river withdrawals off the table. There were no additional conservation efforts addressed.
“People need to realize they can save hundreds (of dollars) in property taxes” by adopting irrigation-free landscaping, as opposed to having to pay for expensive alternative water sources, he said.
Bowers, a retired physician who was chair of Jacksonville’s Environmental Protection Division and is now a board member of the St. Johns Riverkeeper, said he didn’t have “a lot of heartburn” over how the vote came out.
Lisa Rinaman, the St. Johns Riverkeeper who has carried the torch for Jacksonville’s inclusion in the plan ever since folks in North Florida found out about it three years ago, asked the board to postpone the vote in order to require the districts to get the numbers updated, and to look into adding more conservation.
“The plan puts irresponsible water use on the backs of taxpayers,” she said. After the vote, she said she was at least happy to hear the discussion among board members addressing some of the concerns she’s raised.
Others who spoke in favor of the plan include representatives from the cities of Orlando, Apopka, Groveland, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs. Orlando Utilities and other Central Florida utilities spoke in favor of the plan, as did Seminole County Environmental Services and several agricultural groups. All had high praise for what one water authority director called the “collaborative, open, and transparent process.”
The plan has two more stops before it becomes final: the South Florida and the Southwest Florida water management districts, both of which are scheduled by month end.
