Water Supply Assessment & Plan

Section 373.036, Florida Statutes (F.S.) requires the District to conduct a Districtwide Water Supply Assessment (WSA) at least once every five years. Each WSA is required to provide the following information for each water supply planning region within the District for at least a 20-year planning period:

• Existing legal uses, reasonably anticipated future needs, and existing and reasonably anticipated sources of water and conservation efforts
• Whether existing and reasonably anticipated sources of water and conservation efforts are adequate to supply water for all existing legal uses and reasonably anticipated future needs to sustain the water resources and natural systems

Rule 62-40.520(2), Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), provides additional guidance for the statutory requirements to develop WSAs and directs the state of Florida’s (state) water management districts (WMDs) to conduct a Districtwide WSA at least once every five years. This rule provides that when a WMD determines in a WSA that sources of water are not adequate to supply water for all existing and future reasonable-beneficial uses, and to sustain the water resources and related natural systems for a particular area, a regional water supply plan (RWSP) shall be developed.

As part of the District’s work to ensure adequate and sustainable water supplies are available to meet both existing and future needs while protecting the environment, the District prepares water supply plans per the provisions of Chapter 373, Florida Statutes. The water supply planning process is an open and public process, and includes local governments, public supply utilities, self-suppliers, other stakeholders and the public. Water supply plans identify future water supply needs for a 20-year planning horizon, and programs and projects needed to ensure sustainable supplies. The District is divided into two water supply planning regions and works closely with other water management districts on water supply planning.  

In July 2018, the District’s Governing Board accepted the 2015-2035 Water Supply Assessment, which recommended the District be split into two water supply planning regions to increase efficiency for planning and project implementation.

North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership/Eastern Planning Region

The North Florida regional planning area covers 14 counties within the Districts Eastern Planning Region and Region 1 of the St. Johns River Water Management District. The first-ever regional water supply plan for those North Florida counties was adopted in 2017 and was developed through a highly collaborative process among the Suwannee River and St. Johns River water management districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), local governments, public supply utilities, environmental advocates, and other stakeholders. Beginning in 2020, the Districts worked with stakeholders to update to the 2017 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (2015-2035) (NFRWSP). The 2023 NFRWSP (2020-2045) assesses current and projected water needs in the NFRWSP area, the potential impacts of groundwater withdrawals on natural systems, and identifies sufficient project options to sustain water resources and related natural systems through the planning horizon (2045).

The Final 2023 NFRWSP and associated appendices was approved by the SRWMD and SJRWMD respective Governing Boards on December 12, 2023. For more information, please visit the North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership webpage.

Western Planning Region

The District’s Western Planning Region includes Dixie, Lafayette, Madison, Taylor and part of Jefferson and Levy counties. The District has completed the first regional Water Supply Assessment and Plan for these counties, and it was approved by the Governing Board.

Western Water Supply Plan

The 2024 Western Water Supply Plan (WWSP) assesses current and projected water needs in the Western region, the potential impacts of groundwater withdrawals on natural systems, and identifies sufficient project options to sustain water resources and related natural systems through the planning horizon (2045). The 2024 WWSP and associated appendices were approved by the District’s Governing Board on March 12, 2024. The final documents are provided below. 

• 2024 Western Water Supply Plan without Appendices Final
• 2024 Western Water Supply Plan with Appendices Final
• Appendix A Population and Water Demand Projections Final 
  • Projections Table Final
  • Conservation Scenarios Final
  • Reuse Projections Final
• Appendix B Simulated Change in Groundwater Levels within the NFSEG Model Final
• Appendix C Water Quality Assessment Final
• Appendix D MFLs Assessment Final
• Appendix E Waterbodies without Adopted MFLs Assessment Final
• Appendix F Wetland Assessment Final
• Appendix G Resiliency Assessment Final
• Appendix H Land Reclamation Assessment Final
• Appendix I Project Options Final

Additionally, the spatially distributed data can be downloaded here or directly reviewed at this location: https://srwmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0ab6a8580ede4a8a87a94615eefd3b5d. 

Stakeholder Participation

As the planning process proceeds, this webpage will be updated with documents and notices for upcoming public meetings. Additionally, interested stakeholders are encouraged to sign up to be notified when data or documents are posted or when meetings are scheduled. To be added to the mailing list, please send your first and last names, group affiliation (if any) and email address to westernplan@srwmd.com.

Upcoming Meetings

There are currently no scheduled meetings.