CFWI focuses on collaboration with utilities to extend water supply

Media Contacts:
St. Johns River Water Management District
Danielle Spears, dspears@sjrwmd.com
407-659-4836 office, 407-961-3838 cell
 
South Florida Water Management District
Randy Smith, rrsmith@sfwmd.gov
561-682-2800 office, 561-389-3386 cell
 
Southwest Florida Water Management District
813-985-7481, ext. 2008 office, 813-781-9817 cell

Purple pipes like these are being installed throughout the state by utilities to increase the amount of reclaimed water available to residents to extend our water supply.
 
MAITLAND, Fla., June 1, 2017 -  Built on the concept of collaboration, the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) works with the area's 83 utilities to scale water conservation efforts and promote alternative water supplies for a growing population.
 
"The CFWI is focused on regional, multijurisdictional solutions that serve more than one utility, and by extension more residents, businesses, the agricultural community and other water users in the region," said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. "We remain focused on ensuring sustainable use of Florida's water, knowing that coordination is key to successfully implement a water supply plan of this size and scale." 
 
"This unique partnership can be a model for other communities across the country,'" said Southwest Florida Water Management District Executive Director Brian Armstrong. "We are proud to work together to develop strategies to meet our region's growing water demands."
 
"As a longtime Central Florida resident, I can personally attest to the crucial importance of water supply," said South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Chairman Dan O'Keefe. "Our Governing Board is enthusiastic to play a part in this major collaborative effort to find every available way to ensure water supply for future generations."  

Through partnerships with utilities, the CFWI has developed a methodical approach to implementing large-scale water conservation and alternative water supply sources.
  • Throughout the CFWI, the use of reclaimed water has grown along with population increases. By building the infrastructure and using reclaimed water, utilities and the communities they serve conserve traditional freshwater supplies and provide an environmentally responsible alternative to disposal of wastewater.
  • Water savings incentive programs, like Florida Water Star, help utilities promote water conservation by offering customers rebates and incentives to install water-efficient appliances, landscapes and irrigation systems.
  • Water management districts provide a variety of opportunities for utilities within the CFWI to share construction costs for projects that assist in meeting a variety of goals, including creating alternative water supplies and enhancing conservation efforts.
  • Utilities and water management districts participate in leak detection programs, which conserve water and increase a utility's operational efficiency by inspecting and detecting leaks in public water system pipelines.
  • Development of a list of water supply project options for the CFWI Planning Area in coordination with utilities and other stakeholder groups.
  • Utilities encourage water conservation on a local level by implementing ordinances that promote irrigation restrictions, as well as using tier-rate billing to urge water savings indoors and outdoors.
The goal of CFWI is to develop strategies to meet water demands while ensuring water resources are protected, conserved and restored in the 5,300-square-mile area. Public supply is currently the largest use category in the CFWI Planning Area, with use expected to increase by approximately 40 percent by 2035. To address this increase, water management districts work with utilities as well as other stakeholder groups to address these water supply needs.

The CFWI is a joint effort by the water management districts (Southwest, St. Johns and South Florida), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and water utilities, environmental groups, business organizations, agricultural communities, and other stakeholders to recognize and address the water needs of the future.
About the St. Johns River Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District staff are committed to ensuring the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the district and the state of Florida. The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five districts in Florida managing groundwater and surface water supplies in the state. The district encompasses all or part of 18 northeast and east-central Florida counties. District headquarters are in Palatka, and staff also are available to serve the public at service centers in Maitland, Jacksonville and Palm Bay.
 
Connect with us on Twitter at @sjrwmd, InstagramPinterest, and Facebook. For more information about the district, please visit  www.sjrwmd.com.

The South Florida Water Management District 
is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.