Tag Archives: St. Johns River Water Management District

Madison County against WFNF 2026-02-27

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Madison County was the first elected body to oppose #WFNF.

This is the letter posted by Madison County Commissioner Donnie Waldrep Sr. on February 27, 2026.

For all such letters and resolutions and more, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[Madison County against Water First North Florida 2026-02-27, #WFNF: JAX treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin]
Madison County against Water First North Florida 2026-02-27, #WFNF: JAX treated wastewater into Suwannee Basin

Suwannee River Water Management District
9225 CR 49
Live Oak, Florida 32060

Subject: Opposition to the Water First North Florida Project

To Whom It May Concern,

The Madison Board of County Commissioners respectfully submits this letter to express our formal opposition to the proposed Water First North Florida project. After reviewing available project materials, we believe the project poses potential risks to the longterm welfare of our county and the surrounding region.

Key concerns include:

  1. Environmental Impact
    Our region has already experienced declining spring flows and fragile river systems. Additional strain on these resources may cause irreversible harm. Providing clear information about which contaminants are monitored and what treatment wetlands do not remove would help us better understand the project.
  2. Public Health and Water Security
    Concerns regarding the quality of purified reclaimed drinking. water for our residents. Ensuring the reliability of local wells and public water systems must remain a top priority.
  3. Economic Consequences
    Our local economy depends heavily on natural resources, including ecotourism, agriculture, and recreation, Negative environmental effects would place unnecessary financial burdens on these industries and the communities that rely on them. How are risks to spring systems being evaluated?
  4. Local Benefit
    Based on current documentation, the project appears to serve interests outside our immediate region while leaving our county to shoulder potential risk. We cannot support an initiative that may compromise local resources without clear benefits to our residents.

For these reasons, the Madison County Board of County Commissioners strongly opposes the Water First North Florida project in its current form. We urge all reviewing agencies and decisionmakers to consider sustainable alternatives that protect the longterm health of our water resources.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Ronnie Moore, Chair

(On behalf of the Madison County Board of County Commissioners)

[Letter]
Letter

[Alston Kelley, District 1, 2026-02-27 --Madison County BOCC]
Alston Kelley, District 1, 2026-02-27 –Madison County BOCC

[Donnie Waldrep, District 2, 2026-02-27 --Madison County BOCC]
Donnie Waldrep, District 2, 2026-02-27 –Madison County BOCC

[Ronnie Moore, District 3 and Chair, 2026-02-27 --Madison County BOCC]
Ronnie Moore, District 3 and Chair, 2026-02-27 –Madison County BOCC

[Alfred Martin, District 4, 2026-02-27 --Madison County BOCC]
Alfred Martin, District 4, 2026-02-27 –Madison County BOCC

[Rick Davis, District 5, 2026-02-27 --Madison County BOCC]
Rick Davis, District 5, 2026-02-27 –Madison County BOCC

Logos

[Madison County BOCC Logo]
Madison County BOCC Logo

 -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/

Town of Branford Resolution against WFNF 2026-03-01

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Branford is at the mouth of the Santa Fe River, and downstream of the Ichetucknee River, both of which Water First North Florida (#WFNF) purport to help.

For more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[Town of Branford, Resolution against WFNF 2026-03-01, Water First North Florida, JAX treated wastewater]
Town of Branford, Resolution against WFNF 2026-03-01, Water First North Florida, JAX treated wastewater

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-003

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF BRANFORD, FLORIDA, OPPOSING THE FIRST NORTH FLORIDA (WENF) PIPELINE PROJECT AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED; REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM PENDING INDEPENDENT STUDY; AND DIRECTING TRANSMITTAL TO STATE OFFICIALS

WHEREAS, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Suwannee River Water Management District approved elements of the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project in November 2025, which includes a proposed approximately 90-mile pipeline to transport highly treated reclaimed water from facilities in the Jacksonville metropolitan area to wetlands within the Suwannee River Basin for purposes of aquifer recharge; and

WHEREAS, the project is estimated to cost between $1.0 and $1.1 billion, including approximately $400 million in funding from JEA, and proposes to recharge the Floridan Aquifer with more than 40 million gallons per day; and Continue reading →

How WFNF was chosen and desalination was rejected –SRWMD 2025-01-01

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This document appears to show the process by which SRWMD, SJRWMD, FDEP, JEA, and three other water utilities decided on Water First North Florida (WFNF), their plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

Thanks to Amy Brown, SRWMD Deputy Executive Director, Water Resources, for sending this document.

A copy of the document is on the WWALS website, and images of each page are below.

The discussion below is my opinion and nobody at SRWMD is responsible for it.

[How WFNF was chosen and desalination was rejected, SRWMD, SJRWD, JEA, FDEP, et al., January 2025]
How WFNF was chosen and desalination was rejected, SRWMD, SJRWD, JEA, FDEP, et al., January 2025

Notably missing from the options that were considered is wells at wetlands below planted pine plantations, as proposed by Dennis J. Price, PG, back in 2016. No reason is given for why.

Page 34 has a summary of why desalination was rejected:

Desalination (for comparative reference- not recommended for further study): Several desalination alternatives were considered in the evaluation. Desalination at Coquina would desalinate ocean water from the east coast in the Jacksonville area and pump it to the conceptual recharge area. Desalination at the Gulf Coast would desalinate water from a location on the west coast and pump it to the recharge area. The Pumping Replacement alternative would desalinate saltwater from the Jacksonville area and replace groundwater as a water supply for all four participating utilities. The desalination alternatives are not recommended for further evaluation because of:
1) High capital and operation and maintenance cost, partly due to the treatment process itself, and partly due to the high cost of brine disposal,
2) Managing brine disposal incurs significant technical and regulatory challenges,
3) Replacement of all four participating utility groundwater pumping with desalinated seawater would not meet the full MFL requirements, and
4) Ocean desalination does not address the requirements of Senate Bill 64 to put reclaimed water to beneficial use.

Let’s address each of those four points: Continue reading →

Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18

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Update 2026-03-18: The Task Force did not get a quorum at 10 AM. They are trying again for noon.

The Task Force originally formed to deal with Valdosta wastewater is meeting next Wednesday to decide on a resolution opposing WFNF and prefering desalination.

Remember the other two related meetings:

MEETING NOTICE

MIDDLE AND LOWER SUWANNEE RIVER
AND WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER
TASK FORCE

There will be a meeting of the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force on March 18, 2026. The meeting will be held virtually via communications media technology at 10:00 a.m.

DIAL IN NUMBER: Toll Free 1.888.585.9008

CONFERENCE CODE: 568 124 316

[Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18]
Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18

The resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-01

A RESOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER SUWANNEE RIVER AND WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER TASK FORCE OPPOSING THE WATER FIRST NORTH FLORIDA AQUIFER RECHARGE PROJECT AND RECOMMENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE WATER DESALINIZATION PROJECT

WHEREAS, Continue reading →

Phase II Water Shortage and Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

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Update 2026-03-10: SRWMD livestreams its meetings on YouTube. This one will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdoI5qrgXQ

There is nothing on the SRWMD Board agenda about Water First North Florida (WFNF) for 9 AM this Tuesday, March 10, 2026. But there are several items related to that scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

If you can, please do go to the SRWMD meeting and speak. Don’t forget these other meetings:

[Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10]
Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

The SRWMD agenda for tomorrow has a Public Hearing about declaring a Phase II Severe Water Shortage. That declaration is watered down, with few actual requirements. Although not as much as the Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage already declared by SJRWMD, which appears to eliminate all mandatory water restrictions.

Also on the SRWMD agenda, perhaps ironically, are

  • a “Water Conservation Month Proclamation” and
  • a “Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation”.

And of course the monthly SRWMD Hydrologic Conditions Report, which will detail how bad the drought is.

Plus you never know what will be presented in “WATER RESOURCES, Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director, 9. Water Resources Division Updates.” Continue reading →

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-05: Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03.

The ratifying bill passed its last committee Tuesday for the project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, in the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project.

Next stop, the full Senate, Thursday, tomorrow. Please call or write your Senators; see below for how.

The Senators will likely approve the bill. But the more they hear, the more likely they will advise SRWMD and SJRWMD that it must be clean or not at all, as did Senators Tracie Davis of Jacksonville and Jennifer Bradley, who represents the most affected area of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

See the Florida Channel video of the Florida Senate Rules Committee on March 3, 2026.

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-3-26-senate-committee-on-rules/

At 02:31:00 they took up item 20, SB 7034, and ended up with Yeas 21 Nays 0.

[WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator]
WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator

Next, SB 7034 is on Special Order Calendar for the full Senate for tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, 2026, as “GB by Environment and Natural Resources Ratification of Rules of the Department of Environmental Protection.”

Please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Please be polite but firm.

These are the three Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators: Continue reading →

WFNF bill in Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-04: WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03.

Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.

All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.

[Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin]
Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin

If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Either way, please be polite but firm.

Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee: Continue reading →

Aquifer recharge is needed, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem –Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22

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This was an op-ed in the Lake City Reporter, February 19, 2026, by Dennis J. Price, P.G., of Hamilton County, Florida. It’s about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin.

He does not want the Suwannee River Basin to continue to be a giant water tower for Jacksonville, through the Floridan Aquifer. He suggests JEA could get drinking water from the St. Johns River instead of withdrawing it from groundwater.

Of JEA could get on with seawater desalination, as south Florida already does.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Aquifer recharge is needed

To the editor:

Recently the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) proposed a plan to recharge water into our drinking water aquifer, the Floridan Aquifer. The plan is being coordinated with the St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD). Duval County has a private company that supplies almost all the water used in Duval County. With the city of Jacksonville and outlying suburbs using most of that water, the company is the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA). The SJRWMD is the permitting authority that controls the amount of water the JEA can pump. There are practically no restraints placed on the JEA. The amount of water the JEA pumps is enormous, 120 million gallons per day. Growth in Duval County is growing rapidly, extending those suburbs towards and into Baker County.

[Aquifer recharge is needed --Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem]
Aquifer recharge is needed –Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem

Our aquifer is in limestone. It is cracked and fissured by several processes that occurred over the past several million years. The amount of cracks and connected fissures determine how fast water can move through the aquifer. The aquifer under Duval County has 2 problems. It doesn’t flow quickly from the north and from the south to the pumps and the Atlantic Ocean on the east is a barrier to fresh water flow. But water does flow easier from west to east, in other words from our direction to Jacksonville. Jacksonville is faced with a water problem. The wells closest to the coast are pulling salt water into the wells. USGS studies from 1990 based on 1980’s data shows that Jacksonville was already pulling water from underneath us and flowing to them. They have begun to move their production wells closer to Baker County. With Jacksonville’s growth, these new wells produce more water and therefore draws down the water in our aquifer.

Continue reading →

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

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 →

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

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

Thanks to all who participated, this webinar turned into a 45-minute online town hall, after the the two-minute introduction by WWALS Treasurer Sara Squires Jones and the 32-minute slide presentation by Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Many questions were asked about s the plan by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to pipe output from the JEA Buckman wastewater treatment plant into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, to recharge springs and rivers.

We now know much more about why JEA wants to do this, especially thanks to Joe Squitieri, Rick Lanese, and Hailey Hall.

Here is the zoom video:
https://youtu.be/Df3dJzq2_7Y

[Video: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar, online by zoom 2026-02-12]
Video: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar, online by zoom 2026-02-12

The slides are on the WWALS website in PDF and PowerPoint. The slides are slightly updated to clean up a few glitches and especially to add four slides about what JEA gets out of this project.

Images of each slide are below.

Notes on the Q&A are at the end of this post, and you can see and hear for yourself in the video.

Please remember to Ask for explanations or to stop the projects.

Members of Congress & Statehouse
http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

SRWMD and SJRWMD Board
https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/134/Current-Board-Members
https://www.sjrwmd.com/about/organization/directors/

County Commissioners and City Councils
https://www.fl-counties.com/2025-fac-directory/

Florida Counties Task Force about wastewater
https://wwals.net/?p=68081

Follow the QR code or the link below for a change.org petition you can sign. Continue reading →