Frequently Asked Questions

Water supply assessments evaluate existing and projected water uses over a 20-year period and determine whether groundwater is available to meet such demands without causing significant harm to water resources and natural systems.

The District is statutorily required to develop regional water supply plans for areas where groundwater sources are unable to meet demand over 20 years. Alternative water supplies and conservation strategies will be used to help meet water needs in such areas.

The District's traditional source of water comes from groundwater pumped from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Other sources are referred to as alternative water supplies; the District also completes water resource development projects (see Florida Statute 373.019). Water conservation is universally considered as the "least cost alternative water supply," to be routinely implemented and practiced by water users. Reclaimed water, storm water, and surface water (captured predominantly during wet weather flows) have also been identified as potentially feasible alternative water supplies within our District.

The District works with all water users to ensure that water conservation is implemented in order to extend our water supplies. The District has established permanent limits on lawn watering and landscape irrigation for homeowners and businesses and is also working with all permitted users to develop and implement water conservation plans as part of their consumptive use permits.

Water resource development includes the formulation and implementation of water resource management strategies led by a water management district. These projects include a variety of strategies to provide sustainable environmental benefits including, but not limited to, groundwater recharge augmentation, water storage, and water conservation.

As identified by a water management district, a water resource caution area is a geographic area that has existing water resource problems or is projected to develop water resource problems during the next twenty years.