District working with water supply utilities to reduce water use
MAITLAND, Fla., Oct. 11, 2016 — The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board approved two water permit renewals today that reflect a decreased allocation of approximately 197 million gallons of water per year in central Florida. District staff worked with the cities of Belleview and Maitland on efforts to implement water-saving measures, including greater use of reclaimed water, system leak detection and water conserving rate structures, resulting in significant reductions to their consumptive use permits.
“The district is committed to working with applicants and existing permit holders to ensure the most efficient use of our water supply,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “Everyone can take action and help ensure we use water wisely to safeguard future supplies. I applaud the cities of Belleview and Maitland for implementing water conserving techniques and strategies. That is the kind of commitment to water conservation we are working with other communities to achieve.”
A consumptive use permit (CUP 3137-5) renewal for the city of Belleview, in Marion County, reflects a 19 percent decrease in allocation. The requested allocation will be reduced from 1.266 million gallons per day (mgd) to 1.022 mgd for a 20-year permit duration. The reduction in the public supply allocation is related to the city’s specific water conservation efforts as well as slower-than-expected growth.
Another permit, with positive benefits to the Central Florida Water Initiative, was for the renewal of an existing consumptive use permit (CUP 50258-6) for the city of Maitland. For the renewal, district staff recommended a 20-year permit with a total allocation of 4 mgd in years 2016 through 2026, reducing to 3.7 mgd in years 2027 through 2036. This modification represents a 7.7 percent decrease in groundwater allocation in 2027 through 2036 to be achieved through the increase of conservation measures. The reduction in the public supply allocation in 2027 is intended to mitigate the city’s impacts to springs in the Wekiva Basin.