Asked directly about WFNF, what’s happening with the $125 million and have you cancelled the consultant contracts, SJRWMD had no response.

Remember that whenever somebody tries to tell you WFNF is cancelled. It’s just laying low.

That’s Water First North Florida, the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin to seep down from wetlands into the Floridan Aquifer and come back up in springs, rivers, and drinking water wells, at the June 9, 2026, meeting in Palatka of the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

What they did do, after their Hydrologic Conditions Report showed how dire the drought is, they approved an increase in the amount of groundwater GRU can withdraw for Gainesville.

Drought dire, yet approved GRU water withdrawal increase, No response about WFNF @ SJRWMD Board 2026-06-09

And they praised GRU’s wastewater reclamation, i.e., Sweetwater, as a model. They didn’t say, but that’s one of the precedents cited in https://waterfirstnorthfl.com: “Similar projects like the Sweetwater Wetlands Project in Alachua County and the Black Creek Water Resource Development Project in Clay County have successfully improved water quality, restored wetland habitats, and provided community benefits – proving this approach works for North Florida.”

Nevermind that, as Suwannee County BOCC pointed out, “You assert that this method has been “proven” at the Sweetwater Wetlands Project and Black Creek Water Resource Development. That is simply not true as both of those projects use wetlands to cleanse run off — not chemically “treated” water. To be blunt, those projects are not receiving sewer water like you are planning to use for the Water First North Florida Project. Even if they were similar projects, the difference in scale compared to Water First North Florida negates any reasonable comparison.”

For more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Here’s another question. How much of SJRWMD’s own tax revenue comes from property tax, and how much of that will be affected if the voters in November approve the Florida Homestead Property Tax Exemption?

They also didn’t discuss that at all.

Here are some stills with links into SJRWMD’s own video of that June 9, 2026, Governing Board meeting. Plus a few notes on what people said. Except where I use quotation marks, I’m paraphrasing. I’m also guessing at the spelling of several names.

SJRWMD Board, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
31:10 Call to Order

HCR

Tim Miller, Bureau Chief, Water Resource Information, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
42:40 2. Hydrologic Conditions Report

Hydrologic Conditions Report, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

Drought by WMD, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

Rainfall Needed to End Drought in Next 3 Months, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

It would take 33.23 inches of rain to end the drought in the next three months. In other words, several hurricanes.

Upper Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Conditions, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

4. GRU increase from 30 to 34.593 mgd groundwater allocation

Paula Presley, Bureau Chief, Water Use Regulation, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:02:25 4. GRU Consumptive Use Permit increase

Murphree WTP – GRU CUP 11339-8, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

Merrillee Jipson, Columbia County, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:08:10 Public Comment on this GRU item

SRWMD and SJRWMD meetings same date, so can’t go to both.

WFNF is a problem, especially with wastewater from the JEA Buckman wastewater plant.

The GRU permit increase is problematical.

Black Creek project: not a fan. See grist.org article.

Chris Farrell, Audubon Florida, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:11:38 Chris Farrell, Audubon Florida

Thinks the permit allows SJRWMD to dial it back if not good.

Need to move away from so much outdoor irrigation.

Rick Hutton, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:14:45 Rick Hutton, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)

Thanked SJRWMD.

Chair Rob Bradley, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:15:55 Chair Rob Bradley

“This is a good model for what we would like to see in terms of the innovative approaches to alternative water supply. And I think the carrot-stick approach in statute, giving extra years in exchange for doing some… Not that you wouldn’t have done it anyway, because y’all have been mindful and good stewards of these types of matters. But I do think that it’s a unique approach that in this case is bearing fruit. As long as we have a job, to Chris’s point, to make sure that those markers are met. And I know that I know that y’all will be cooperative partners on that front, certainly.”

1:17:07 SJRWMD Board votes on GRU water withdrawal increase

Unanimous vote yes by roll call.

Speakers in General

Assistant E.D. Mary Ellen Winkler and E.D. Mike Register, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD 1:18:11 5. Public Comment

Assistant Executive Director Mary Ellen Winkler introduced the commenters, while Executive Director Mike Register checked his watch.

Tim Hodeling, representing Fix the Lower St. Johns River, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD

Wants scientists to weigh in and what’s the plan.

Amy Minize, Unincorporated community of DeLeon Springs, Volusia County, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:19:53 Amy Minize, Unincorporated community of DeLeon Springs, Volusia County

Underground fuel plume. OCULUS back to mid-1980s.

Drinking from purified recycled water as alternative to dry wells.

Giovanna Galotini, Marion County, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:23:24 Giovanna Galotini

Public is very sceptical of reclaimed water quality.

WFNF: we have received very incomplete information about the quality of water that would be injected back.

Unsure of District’s position: do you still have $125 million in your budget for WFNF? Have you cancelled the WFNF contracts with the consultants?

1:25:20 End of Public Comments

No SJRWMD board or staff answered any of the public comments, beyond praising GRU.

E.D. Mike Register about Water Conservation Messaging, 2026-06-09 –SJRWMD
1:29:54 Water Conservation Messaging.

E.D. Mike Register praised SJRWMD’s Water Conservation Messaging, especially about their Phase III Extreme Water Shortage.

1:26:02 Governing Board Comments

The only board member who spoke in board comments was one bragging about so many people moving to Florida.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Short Link: