An edition of: WaterAtlas.orgPresented By: Seminole County, USF Water Institute

Water-Related News

Seminole utility and others water down rule that would protect Floridan Aquifer

It took years for Florida leaders to craft a sophisticated and deeply considered plan to protect the fragile Floridan Aquifer for the benefit of both cities and the state’s watery environment.

But the region’s water utilities recently declared legal war on the plan as too restrictive on their future opportunity to drill into the aquifer as the cheapest source of water for population growth. Utilities are now at the cusp of victory.

On Tuesday, Seminole County as one of the region’s largest water suppliers agreed to an offer by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to rewrite its Floridan Aquifer plan to settle a legal backlash from utilities.