HomeMy WebLinkAbout15.c WFNF Status Update CLAY COUNTY UTILITY AUTHORITY
MEMORANDUM
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TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jeremy D.Johnston,MBA,PE,Executive Direc or
DATE: July 17, 2026
RE: Water First North Florida—Status Update
The Clay County Utility Authority (CCUA) team is aware of considerable discussion regarding the status
of the Water First North Florida project, including reports that the project has been canceled. While state
funding for the project has been removed from the Governor's proposed budget, the broader effort to
address regional water supply and environmental restoration objectives remains active. CCUA remains
engaged and committed to this effort.
In recent months, several local communities within the Suwannee River Water Management District
(SRWMD)have expressed concerns regarding the project as originally proposed.Those concerns have led
elected officials to re-evaluate the project and contributed to the removal of the $20 million funding
allocation that had been included in the Governor's budget.
Despite this development, the project remains identified within the Water Management District's
Prevention and Recovery Strategy. More importantly, the underlying water resource challenges that the
project aims to address remain in place.Any future modification or replacement of the project must continue
to support compliance with Minimum Flows and Levels(MFL)requirements for the Lower Santa Fe River,
the Ichetucknee River, and associated priority springs.
We expected the original project scope to evolve as more detailed technical information and scientific
analysis developed. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and SRWMD are
currently evaluating alternative approaches and projects that can achieve the region's long-term water
supply, environmental restoration, and sustainability objectives. The CCUA team remains keenly aware
that no one community, utility, or entity can independently address these regional water resource
challenges.We fully support the necessary development of collaborative and sustainable regional solutions.
CCUA maintains a long tradition of forward-thinking investment to provide significant value to the
communities we serve.Our value to communities comes from our focus on public health and safety coupled
with environmental and economic sustainability. We share this focus with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection(FDEP),the SJRWMD,the SRWMD, and our colleagues at JEA, GRU, and the
SJCUD.
The CCUA team remains committed to supporting technical and scientific efforts evaluating options and
developing solutions that promote a reliable, sustainable, and resilient water supply for the people of North
Florida. As previously stated, we expect CCUA will be financially participating in this effort as the Water
First North Florida project effort in the future. Our participation in a regional solution to address regional
environmental restraints has been included in the CCUA Integrated Water Resource Plan(IWRP), several
Executive Director Annual Reports, and the latest Biennial Report.