Governor Ron DeSantis has announced over $112 million in grants to improve water quality and supply throughout Florida. The funding will support 14 alternative water supply projects, 23 initiatives focused on restoring the state’s freshwater springs, and 16 technology projects aimed at detecting, preventing, and mitigating harmful algal blooms.
“My administration has made historic investments in protecting our water resources,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida is a leader in water resource protection, and we will continue to deliver results and act as responsible stewards of our resources.”
Alexis A. Lambert, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), commented on the announcement: “Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, our decisions are driven by science and long-term stewardship. The funding announced today will help communities secure reliable water supplies, improve water quality and better respond to environmental challenges. These investments reflect our commitment to protecting the resources that support our economy and our way of life.”
Of the total funds awarded, $50 million will go toward alternative water supply projects that are expected to produce more than 94 million gallons of new water per day once operational. These projects include expanding reclaimed water use, enhancing aquifer recharge efforts, and promoting conservation practices across Florida.
Drew Bartlett, Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District, stated: “The South Florida Water Management District continues to prioritize the health of our waterways and reduce nutrient pollution such as excess nitrogen and phosphorus. These awards help conserve our precious water resources while meeting the state’s water needs. Partnering with local governments and other entities to conserve and reuse fresh water is an important and effective way to help accomplish this goal. Thank you, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for prioritizing these investments that will create infrastructure projects to improve the environment and our water resources.”
Brian Armstrong from Southwest Florida Water Management District highlighted planning needs: “Developing alternative water supplies requires long-term planning and is critical to meeting the projected population growth and associated water supply demands in our region. We are grateful to Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for their leadership and foresight in prioritizing the development of alternative water supplies.”
Mike Register from St. Johns River Water Management District added: “Florida continues to demonstrate real leadership in securing a resilient water supply for our future. This $50 million investment reflects a forward-thinking commitment to expanding sustainable, alternative water supplies.”
Hugh Thomas from Suwannee River Water Management District noted: “Florida continues to lead the way in developing proactive solutions to meet our growing water needs. By maximizing the use of alternative water sources, we are ensuring smart, sustainable growth in North Florida.”
Lyle Seigler from Northwest Florida Water Management District said: “A commitment to alternative water supply projects not only helps protect our precious natural resources but it shows innovative thinking on the part of our state leaders. We look forward to implementing projects that will protect our water resources for years to come.”
Since 2019, state investment in alternative supply projects has reached $335 million with over 445 million gallons per day added for future demand.
Another $50 million was awarded for springs restoration through wastewater upgrades or land acquisitions benefiting rivers such as Santa Fe River or Rainbow River among others; collectively these initiatives aim for an annual reduction exceeding 100,000 pounds of Total Nitrogen.
The Springs Restoration Grant Program supports improvements across multiple communities by helping fund septic-to-sewer conversions or land purchases intended both for cleaner spring flow as well as higher-quality watersheds.
Notable examples include Newberry’s septic-to-sewer conversion project ($2.9M), Alachua Conservation Trust’s land acquisition ($1M), Inverness’ sewer extension ($1.6M), or Wakulla County’s project connecting subdivisions ($6.1M).
Since 2019 nearly $430 million has been directed at springs restoration resulting in an estimated yearly decrease of more than 907 thousand pounds of Total Nitrogen statewide.
For harmful algal bloom response technologies—such as monitoring systems or rapid mitigation tools—the governor allocated $12 million across 16 new projects this year alone; since inception six vendors have been placed on standby statewide supporting local government responses during events.
Dr. Mark Rains—Florida Chief Science Officer—noted: “By investing in emerging technologies, we are expanding our scientific capacity to better understand and manage harmful algal blooms…These projects integrate real-time monitoring, predictive modeling, and field-scale treatment systems…The result is a more data-driven adaptive approach…”
This technology program was established after recommendations from Blue-Green Algae Task Force with now over $75 million supporting 68 different efforts since its start.
More details about selected grant recipients can be found at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/Grants.
