Tag Archives: Ichetucknee Headspring

JAX treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin @ Hamilton Co. Courthouse –SRWMD 2026-02-26

SRWMD is going all-out in PR for Jacksonville treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin, this time with a meeting the District is holding:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

The Suwannee River Water Management District will hold a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the Hamilton County Courthouse Annex, Auditorium, 1153 US Highway 41, NW, Jasper, Florida 32052. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and answer questions regarding the implementation of the Water First North Florida project which was recently approved to address regional water supply and environmental needs. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this important meeting.

[JAX treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin, @ Hamilton Co. Courthouse --SRWMD 2026-02-26]
JAX treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin, @ Hamilton Co. Courthouse –SRWMD 2026-02-26

This project would pipe treated wastewater from the JEA Buckman wastewater treatment plant in Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin to be absorbed into groundwater, to increase levels and flows in the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers and their springs, such as the Ichetucknee headspring.

[WATER FIRST NORTH FLORIDA, Potential treatment wetland locations and recharge locations, 2025-07-08 --SRWMD]
WATER FIRST NORTH FLORIDA, Potential treatment wetland locations and recharge locations, 2025-07-08 –SRWMD

But those wetlands wouldn’t remove PFAS forever chemicals, pipes break, and the project would cost a billion dollars and take more than a dozen years.

The biggest reason for lower levels and flows is Jacksonville wastewater withdrawals. Easier, cheaper, and faster would be seawater desalination to reduce or eliminate JAX withdrawals.

Please ask your elected and appointed officials, local, state, and national, for explanations or to stop this project.

For a change.org petition follow this link or the qrcode below:

https://c.org/8CgGBpLv7r Continue reading →

Water First North Florida at Columbia County Commission 2026-02-19

Update 2026-02-20: Nobody at a Live Oak meeting liked Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin 2026-02-05.

In Lake City this evening at 5:30 PM,

the Columbia County Commissioners will hear from SRWMD about WFNF, the SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, supposedly to replenish the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and their springs.

Go if you can, and be early if you want to speak. The location is School Board Administrative Complex, 372 West Duval Street, Lake City, FL. 32055.

[Water First North Florida, Columbia BOCC 2026-02-19, WWALS Letter, SRWMD Letter]
Water First North Florida, Columbia BOCC 2026-02-19, WWALS Letter, SRWMD Letter

I sent a letter, included below, and a request to speak at a later meeting.

Also below is the letter SRWMD sent to Columbia BOCC.

Remember to ask your local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials for answers, or to stop this project. Continue reading →

FL SB 64: Reclaimed Water, JEA Buckman Wastewater Plant, and WFNF 2021-06-29

Update 2026-04-17: FL statutes give JEA until 2032 or 2039 or 2044 to divert its wastewater –Joe Squitieri @ SCRP 2026-04-02.

Update 2026-02-19: Water First North Florida at Columbia County Commission 2026-02-19.

Why can’t the JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant send its outflow into the St. Johns River, many people have asked?

Well, it does now.

But according to Florida Senate Bill 64 of 2021, JEA has to stop doing that less than 11 years from now, in 2032.

Wait, isn’t that about the goal for operation of the Water First North Florida (WFNF) pipeline for JEA Buckman outflow into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin?

See below.

[FL SB 64: Reclaimed Water, nonbeneficial surface water discharge, JEA Buckman Wastewater Plant, and WFNF 2025-2032]
FL SB 64: Reclaimed Water, nonbeneficial surface water discharge, JEA Buckman Wastewater Plant, and WFNF 2025-2032

Here’s the purpose of SB 64:

403.064 Reuse of reclaimed water.
(17) By November 1, 2021, domestic wastewater utilities that dispose of effluent, reclaimed water, or reuse water by surface water discharge shall submit to the department for review and approval a plan for eliminating nonbeneficial surface water discharge by January 1, 2032, subject to the requirements of this section.

We have found that the JEA Buckman plant is nowhere near meeting potable reuse standards, what with an FDEP Consent Order on it right now for exceeding numerous outflow limits.

Fortunately for JEA, SB 64 provides at least two loopholes JEA could use. Continue reading →

Consent Order on JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant –FDEP 2025-09-15

Update 2026-02-17 FL SB 64: Reclaimed Water, JEA Buckman Wastewater Plant, and WFNF 2021-06-29.

This is an FDEP Consent Order on the plant that is supposed to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville to wetlands in the Suwannee Basin in the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project. How can such a plant be safe to water the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers and their springs? Through the Floridan Aquifer which is the source of all local water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and recreation?

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant exceeded limits on Chronic Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET), Aldrin and Total Cyanide, Fecal Coliform, Enterococci, and Ultraviolet Light Dosage, Total Recoverable Iron, Nickel, Copper, and Total Suspended Solids.

[Consent Order on JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant --FDEP 2025-09-15]
Consent Order on JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant –FDEP 2025-09-15

JEA also had to pay “$24,750.00 in settlement of the regulatory matters addressed in this Order.”

The Consent Order was issued September 15, 2025, so this is a current problem.

So it turns out the JEA Buckman plant is a typical failing wastewater treatment plant.

Does that seem safe to you for replenishing Suwannee Basin groundwater that we use for drinking, agriculture, industry, fishing, swimming, and boating?

Thanks to Joe Squitieri for sending this Consent Order. Continue reading →

JEA approved $400 million for WFNF treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin 2025-11-19

Update 2026-02-13: Video: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar 2026-02-12.

JEA already approved 40% of the purported cost of $1 billion for the Water First North Florida plan to pipe Jacksonville treated wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin.

This paragraph is interesting:

According to JEA, minimum flows and water levels stipulate how much water can be drawn from certain sources to avoid environmental damage from groundwater pumping. Because the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers have not met those MFLs, the region has created Water First as its solution.

Who is this “the region”?

Floridians, do you remember voting for this project?

Do you remember voting for any candidate who said they were for this project?

So who is this “the region” who created WFNF?

And why should the Suwannee Basin provide wetlands for “further purification” of Jacksonville wastewater?

Those are more questions you can ask your elected officials, local, state, and national.

https://wwals.net/?p=69143

[JEA approved $400 million for treated wastewater 2025-11-18 into Suwannee Basin, Water First North Florida]
JEA approved $400 million for treated wastewater 2025-11-18 into Suwannee Basin, Water First North Florida

Marcela Camargo, new4jax.com, November 19, 2025, JEA board approves $400M for project to recharge Floridan Aquifer, restore springs, ensure sustainable water supply: The board also approved $260.3 million increase to power purchase agreement with FPL,

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The JEA Board of Directors approved on Tuesday millions of dollars in funding for a project that aims to recharge the Floridan Aquifer, restore springs and river flows, and ensure the region’s sustainable water supply.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the board gave its approval to participate in the Water First North Florida Partnership, a long-term project that will help North Florida meet the upcoming Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) rule by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Continue reading →

SJRWMD hired a consultant to plan piping treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin (Water First North Florida) 2025-11-12

The St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) hired a consultant in November to solidify the plan to pipe Jacksonville treated wastewater to recharge springs on the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers in the Suwannee River Basin.

Their documents show that Jacksonville uses about as much water as all of agriculture in the Suwannee River Basin.

How about Jacksonville get a grip on its water usage?

Wouldn’t that be better than having JAX upstream from the Suwannee River Basin?

[SJRWMD hired a consultant to plan piping treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin (Water First North Florida) 2025-11-12]
SJRWMD hired a consultant to plan piping treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin (Water First North Florida) 2025-11-12

Maybe you’d like to Ask Florida statehouse and Water Districts to explain JAX treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin or to stop it.
https://wwals.net/?p=69143

The trail from SRWMD’s lack of knowledge of the locations for this project led to SJRWMD’s board minutes.

There is still an opportunity to change course (see below about the SJRWMD November 12, 2025, board packet):

Projects identified in the Strategy do not become permit conditions by virtue of their inclusion in an approved Strategy. The projects described in this Strategy, or alternative projects that the Districts concur will provide an equivalent benefit, may be developed and incorporated as conditions on water use or consumptive use permits (WUP or CUP) through the permitting process and shall be updated with each approval of the NFRWSP.

That’s good, because the projects SJRWMD considered apparently did not include limiting water withdrawals or Dennis Price’s proposal to drill wells at the bottom of planted pine ditches.

They apparently did not include anything about limiting water withdrawals, not even by Jacksonville, which uses about as much water as Suwannee Basin agriculture.

SJRWMD (and SRWMD as junior partner) appear to only be considering massive pipe engineering projects.

And I see nothing in these SJRWMD documents about how they plan to get rid of toxic chemicals that are not normally removed by wastewater treatement, such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and artificial sweeteners.

The SJRWMD Board in November 2025 authorized “a contract not-to-exceed $2,170,000 with the Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.” to do an initial design. Continue reading →

Ask Florida statehouse and Water Districts to explain JAX treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin or to stop it, 2026-01-02

Update 2026-02-17: Consent Order on JEA Buckman Wastewater Treatment Plant –FDEP 2025-09-15.

Update 2026-02-13: Video: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar 2026-02-12.

Update 2026-02-05: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar 2026-02-12.

Do you think a billion dollars to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin is a bad idea?

If so, please ask your statehouse delegation and Water Management District Board to explain why limiting water withdrawals would not be a better idea, or to stop this project.

Everybody is downstream from somebody else. But we don’t need the Suwannee River Basin to be downstream from Jacksonville. Sure, we’re poorer than Jacksonville, but we’re not their sacrifice zone.

Two Water Management Districts say this Water First North Florida project would replenish levels and flows in the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers, including the Ichetucknee Headspring, by sending water into the Upper Floridan Aquifer through wetlands.

How can this expensive and risky project be the best way to conserve levels and flows in these Outstanding Florida Waters, which are supposed to be worthy of special protection because of their natural attributes?

How can risking the source of our drinking water be a good idea?

[Why is piping treated JAX wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin, better than limiting water withdrawals? Ask FL statehouse and WMD boards]
Why is piping treated JAX wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin, better than limiting water withdrawals? Ask FL statehouse and WMD boards

Here’s how to find your legislators:

https://pluralpolicy.com/find-your-legislator/

Also ask SRWMD to hold a Public Hearing explaining why this project is better and safer than limiting water withdrawals.

Let’s see the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Including evidence about how much JEA’s Buckman Wastewater Treatment Facility actually removes PFAS forever chemicals, drugs, and artificial sweeteners. Plus single points of failure such as sole-source contractors.

Suwannee River Management District
9225 CR 49
Live Oak, FL 32060
Phone: 386.362.1001
Toll Free: 1.800.226.1066
Hugh Thomas, Executive Director
Hugh.Thomas@SRWMD.org

Also ask your SRWMD Board members:
https://mysuwanneeriver.com/134/Current-Board-Members

The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) seems to know surprisingly little Continue reading →

Water First North Florida wetland locations: unknown –SRWMD 2025-12-17

Update 2026-01-08: SJRWMD hired a consultant to plan piping treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin (Water First North Florida) 2025-11-12.

Update 2026-01-03: Ask Florida statehouse and Water Districts to explain JAX treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin or to stop it 2026-01-02.

Here’s a bit more about the Water First North Florida (WFNF) billion dollar project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) seems to know surprisingly little about this joint project with the St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD).

They don’t know where the water would go into wetlands to “clean” it up some more, and they don’t know where it would go to infiltrate into the Floridan Aquifer.

They don’t have a pilot study and they don’t have wetland site assessments.

Turns out there are a couple of reasons why SRWMD does not know or have those things. But I have found out a few things.

And I have leads to find out much more.

[Water First North Florida wetland locations: unknown, No Pilot Study or Wetland Assessments, But here is the RFQ --SRWMD]
Water First North Florida wetland locations: unknown, No Pilot Study or Wetland Assessments, But here is the RFQ –SRWMD

Back on July 8, 2025, SRWMD Deputy Executive Director of Water Resources Amy Brown gave her board a Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Project Update. It included a few slides on the WFNF, aka North Florida Regional Recharge Project. Continue reading →

Packet: SRWMD Board plus Workshop on Drought Conditions 2025-12-09

Update 2025-12-17: Drought Workshop Presentation –SRWMD 2025-12-09.

Update 2025-12-14: Hydrologic Conditions Report –SRWMD 2025-11-30.

Maybe you’d like to come to the Workshop on “Drought Conditions and Review of the District’s Water Shortage Process” that the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) is holding. That’s this Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 9 AM in Live Oak, after the SRWMD Board meeting.

If I’m not mistaken, a drought declaration by the Suwannee River Water Management District would mean numerous water withdrawal permit holders would have to reduce their withdrawals.

[Packet: SRWMD Board, Live Oak, FL 2025-12-09, plus Workshop on Drought Conditions]
Packet: SRWMD Board, Live Oak, FL 2025-12-09, plus Workshop on Drought Conditions

Also, Board agenda item 26. Water Resources Division Updates, will probably include an update on the Water First North Florida billion-dollar aquifer recharge project. It would pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville to wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, and from there into sinks to recharge Ichetucknee Headspring and maybe others. Limiting water withdrawals would be less expensive and more effective, without risking contaminating our springs and aquifers with PFAS and other chemicals that wastewater treatment does not remove.

Two weeks ago I asked, Why hasn’t SRWMD declared a drought yet?

Already then, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the entire Suwannee River Basin in both Georgia and Florida was in drought.
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?Southeast

Conditions have only gotten worse since then. Continue reading →

Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle to see SPZ 2026-01-10

Update 2026-01-08: The Park has gotten much more strict about food. You can’t carry any, only one non-breakable water container. Unless you’re diabetic and you ask, then you get one snack. You can, however, take food and any other legal refreshments on the WWALS shuttle to TREPO Point Park and leave them there for after the paddle.

Don’t take the Park shuttle: come on the WWALS Point Park shuttle. Be at North Launch Ichetucknee Springs State Park by 10 AM to drop off your boats, then we take most of our vehicles to Point Park, leave them there, and drive back in as few vehicles as possible.

If you do not have a boat, you can rent one right there at the Launch.

Florida FWC decided against the SPZ on November 10, 2025. But there may be further proposals. Come see what we are all trying to conserve.

Plus this paddle is now free to everyone, due to a newly-discovered park rule.

Update 2025-11-19: Bad news from FWC about the Ichetucknee Springs Protection Zone 2025-11-10.

Come see what the Ichetucknee Springs Protection Zone (SPZ) is about. Swim in the itch head spring. Then join us for a leisurely paddle 4 miles downstream in crystal clear waters with the possibility of seeing manatee, several types of gar and bird species.

Thanks to Linda Dicker, who proposed the SPZ, for leading this expedition, and for arranging takeout at the private TREPO Point Park.

Thanks to WWALS water quality tester Christiaan Ard for assisting leading this outing.

The Ichetucknee River is great paddling in the park. From there down to the Santa Fe River, power boats abound, producing wakes, endangering humans and wildlife, and eroding shorelines. The SPZ would require a No Wake Zone and maybe ban personal watercraft.

You can write to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWC), using this handy form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYFArSQsstOauhRVYTCMoikXYIo0i_gDmkuDlbTC-7OSsgQQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114012348461689332646

When: Gather 9 AM, shuttle 10 AM, launch 11 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, January 10, 2026

Put In: Dip in Ichetucknee Headspring, then paddle starting at North Launch Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Ichetucknee S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, in Columbia County.

GPS: 29.98292, -82.76053

[Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and River Paddle 2026-01-10, to see SPZ, Springs Protection Zone]
Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and River Paddle 2026-01-10, to see SPZ, Springs Protection Zone

Continue reading →