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Water Supply Planning

Recognizing the importance of an adequate water supply to Florida's future, the Legislature has established a process for water supply planning through Florida's Growth Management Act (Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes) and the Water Protection and Sustainability Program (Chapter 373, Florida Statutes). Under this system, the state's five water management districts must periodically evaluate whether adequate water supplies exist to meet the needs of their areas. If a district finds that the water supply will not be adequate, it must prepare regional water supply plans for those areas, identifying how water supply needs can be met for the next 20 years. Local governments that fall within the area of a regional water supply plan are required to ensure that adequate water supplies will be available to meet future demand, by developing 10-year water supply facilities work plans. These work plans include alternative water supplies, water reuse and conservation programs, and they are incorporated into the local governments' comprehensive plans. In addition, all local governments - regardless of whether they are in one of these planning areas - must address water supply in their concurrency management programs.

Since July 2005, the Department has required that local governments submitting comprehensive plan amendments include data and analysis to demonstrate that water supplies are sufficient to support anticipated growth.

Water Supply Concurrency

Section 163.3180(2)(a), Florida Statutes, requires local governments to consult with water suppliers to ensure that adequate water supplies will be in place and available to serve new development no later than when the local government issues a certificate of occupancy or its functional equivalent. Local governments should update their comprehensive plans and land development regulations as soon as possible to address this water supply concurrency requirement.

Local Government 10-Year Water Supply Facilities Work Plans

The state's water management districts have updated their regional water supply plans, which identify areas where water supply shortages are projected to occur within the next 20 years. The regional water supply plans identify alternative projects to be implemented by local governments in these areas, in order to supplement their traditional sources of water to meet projected demand.

Pursuant to Section 163.3177(6)(c), Florida Statutes, local governments that are subject to a regional water supply plan must adopt a 10-year water supply facilities work plan in their comprehensive plans (see Due Dates for Adopting 10-Year Water Supply Facilities Work Plan Amendments). These local water supply facilities work plans must identify alternative water supply projects - from among those listed in the appropriate regional water supply plan or, those proposed by the local governments themselves (Section 373.0361(7)(b), Florida Statutes) - that the local government will implement to meet existing and future development needs.

Water Supply Guidelines

The Department, in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection and the state's water management districts, has prepared three technical assistance documents. The first, A Guide for Local Governments in Preparing Water Supply Comprehensive Plan Amendments and Water Supply Facilities Work Plans, has been prepared to help local governments understand their water supply planning responsibilities pursuant to Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes. It addresses the scope and content of required 10-year water supply facilities work plans, identifies data and analysis local governments must provide, and includes recommendations for adopting the work plan into the comprehensive plan. It also identifies sources of information available to local governments and the deadlines for adopting the required work plans and comprehensive plan amendments.

The second document, entitled Recommendations for Preparing Water Supply and Facility Data and Analysis to Support Local Comprehensive Plan Amendments, describes the water supply and facilities data and analysis that local governments should submit with proposed comprehensive plan amendments, particularly those that would change the Future Land Use Map to increase density or intensity. Examples in the guide describe the basic information and analysis that local governments should consider to support the adoption of a proposed land use change.

The third document, Agency Coordination of Comprehensive Planning and Water Supply Planning in Florida, describes and updates processes used by reviewing agencies and the Department when reviewing comprehensive plan amendments and Evaluation and Appraisal Reports related to water supply planning. The guide also provides a comprehensive list of statutory and rule requirements related to water supply planning.

Examples of Adopted Water Supply Facilities Work Plans

The Department has found the following adopted local government 10-year Water Supply Facilities Work Plans in compliance. They are available for viewing and download on our Comprehensive Plan and Plan Amendment Archive (FloridaPAPERS) web page.

• Groveland 07-1
• Lake Mary 07RWSP1
• Martin County 07-2
• Palm Coast 07RWSP1
• Sanford 07-RWSP1
• Seminole County 07RWSP1
• Winter Springs 07RWSP1

Water Protection and Sustainability Program

To address the challenge of ensuring that Florida has an adequate water supply, the 2005 Legislature enacted the Water Protection and Sustainability Program (Chapter 373, Florida Statutes). The law encourages cooperation among municipalities, counties and the state's five water management districts to protect and develop water supplies. The law requires water management districts to promote alternative water supply projects - for example, using reclaimed water and stormwater - that accommodate growth while reducing the use of traditional ground and surface water supplies, such as aquifers and lakes.

For more information about the program and to view links to regional water supply plans, please contact the water management district in your region:

Northwest Florida Water Management District

Paul Thorpe, AICP, Director
Resource Planning Section
paul.thorpe@nwfwmd.state.fl.us
(850) 539-5999; (800) 913-1518
www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us