This is a placeholder for a forthcoming article with evidence in endnotes.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
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The most populous county participating in many Suwannee Basin forums, Alachua County has passed a resolution opposing Water First North Florida (WFNF) and proposing alternatives. It is also the second county partly in the St. Johns Basin to do so, after Baker County.
Before their unanimous vote, the Alachua County Commissioners discussed whether this resolution adequately supported the resolution by the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC), which represents all twelve counties in the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Well, the Alachua County resolution doesn’t say anything about desalination, nor anything else for Jacksonville to reduce its groundwater withdrawals. It recommends limiting irrigation to only one day a week, apparently only for Alachua County.
Still, the 800-pound gorilla has spoken, and its last recommendation is:
7) evaluate alternatives to the Water First North Florida Project along with filtration and siting strategies for beneficial re-use of reclaimed water from Jacksonville.
![[Alachua County resolution against WFNF 2026-06-09, Stacie Greco, landscape irrigation]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-06-09--alachua-county-wfnf/fbmany.jpg)
Alachua County resolution against WFNF 2026-06-09, Stacie Greco, landscape irrigation
For much more about WFNF, see:
11:30 AM, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Alachua County BOCC Meeting Agenda:
Continue reading
- Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers Implementation Strategy/Water First North Florida Project Resolution – 26-00395
Update 2026-06-21: Alachua County resolution against WFNF 2026-06-09.
More on how WFNF is not done yet, including that contributing projects are still going.
Cost is one of many reasons for the massive public opposition to Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.
The WFNF cost estimate was $1 billion in July 2025, but had ballooned to $1.1 billion by February 2026. That’s 10% inflation in six months.
Even that higher estimate expressly does not include the cost of the pipeline or eminent domain, not to mention likely lawsuits.
Another reason is that few people trust JEA to clean up the wastewater or to keep the pipeline system working without failures.
Another is that nobody got to vote on WFNF except the unelected boards of JEA and the St. Johns and Suwannee River Water Management Districts (SJRWMD and SRWMD).
Much more about WFNF here:
Julianna Bendeck, the independent florida alligator, June 14, 2026, Why the Water First North Florida project may not be done just yet: The state cancelled the $1 billion aquifer recharge proposal amid drought conditions,
Although state officials abandoned the original Water First North Florida proposal, research associated with the project continues.
Continue reading
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.
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:
Here’s another question. Continue reading
Update 2026-06-18: Drought dire; GRU water withdrawal increase approved; no response about WFNF @ SJRWMD Board 2026-06-09.
You can speak about WFNF, taxes, etc. at the SJRWMD Governing Board Meeting,
10 AM, Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Board Room, SJRWMD District Headquarters, 4049 Reid Street, Palatka, FL 32177
Don’t be late: 5. Public Comment is very early on the agenda.
So far, the Suwannee River Water Management Districdt (SRWMD) has no comment on the alleged cancellation of WFNF. We’ve heard nothing at all from the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), which has dedicated $125 million to WFNF. Maybe you’d like to ask them what they are doing with WFNF.
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?
Public Comment is right after this item:
- Consideration: Approve Consumptive Use Permit 11339-8, known as Murphree WTP – GRU. This application is a renewal of an existing public supply permit with an increase in the Upper Floridan aquifer groundwater allocation from 30.0 million gallons per day (mgd) to 34.592 mgd, through the year 2056.
That’s a 15% increase from 2056 for Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). From the same Upper Floridan Aquifer everybody drinks from in the Suwannee Basin. With direct effects on the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Associated Priority Springs minimum flows and levels, as spelled out later in the board packet.
There is no mention of PFAS forever chemicals or pharmaceuticals being removed from the “reclaimed” wastewater that ends up in the aquifer. One of the reclaimed wastewater routes goes through Sweetwater Wetlands Park, which WFNF claims as a precedent.
Maybe you’d like to talk about that.
On packet page 9: Continue reading
If it was really cancelled, you’d think SRWMD, SJRWMD, and JEA would say so, and announce they have cancelled any outstanding contracts, such as the one SJRWMD let on November 12, 2025, for $2.17 million for a consultant to study WFNF for three years.
Instead, we’ve heard nothing from JEA or SJRWMD, and the Executive Director of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has no comment.
For much more about WFNF, including which Suwannee District counties oppose it (all 12 of them) and which have passed their own letters or resolutions of opposition (7 of them), as well as who you can contact, see:
![[SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-05-15--srwmd-no-comment-wfnf/fbmany.jpg)
SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19
Stew Lilker, Columbia County Observer, May 15, 2026,
Water First North Florida: The $1.1 Billion Project That No One Likes, Except Insiders, Is on the Ropes
Where is it now and how did it get there?
Hahira, Georgia, May 18, 2026 — Two experts from Georgia and Florida on current water topics will speak at WWALS River Revue, the sit-down fundraising dinner for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., plus the music of a headliner and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, and a silent auction.
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026
![[Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-05-18--pr-speakers-wwals-river-revue/many.jpg)
Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF
Published with permission, here is what Dr. Bob Knight ferreted out from USGS and the WMDs about groundwater pumping.
You’d think they would publish this information, but since they didn’t, WWALS is.
These slides (PowerPoint or PDF) don’t say anything about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the WMD and JEA plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin, but this is the groundwater background to WFNF.
![[Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse --Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-05-09--florida-springs-aquifer-bob-knight/fbmany.jpg)
Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse –Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09
He sent these slides to various environmentalists on May 9, 2026, with this note. I asked him later in person if he minded WWALS publishing. He said go ahead.
Continue readingAll
Attached is an updated summary of Florida groundwater wells, permits, and reported extraction quantities from the Floridan aquifer. All data were provided by the water management districts and the USGS. But the summaries of those reams of data are my work and may not be complete and accurate in all cases. Surprisingly, the WMDs have differing data bases and few detailed summaries of these data. For now, I believe these may be the best data summaries out there. Historically (up to 2015) Richard Marella formerly with USGS reported a lot of Floridan aquifer detailed/summary data every five years. That important contribution ended in 2015 and there is no sign that it will be picked back up by the state or the USGS.
The inconvenient truth is that all groundwater extractions reduce spring flows and that data analysis indicates that the ratio is almost one to one. Measured spring flow reductions closely mirror these reported pumping totals and differ widely from groundwater flow model estimates.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Bob
Update 2026-05-19: SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation 2026-05-15.
Vigilance, please!
Yesterday, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, we heard from Florida State Senator Corey Simon that “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”
That’s good news, as far as it goes. And it wouldn’t have happened without all of you who have opposed it.
But it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings, and the SRWMD Governing Board said nothing about this that same morning. I was there and spoke against WFNF along with about half a dozen other people.
Nor have any of SRWMD, SJRWMD, or JEA said anything since that I’ve seen. And what happened yesterday did nothing to repeal huge financial support for WFNF by JEA and SJRWMD.
So please don’t stop now. Keep on speaking to cities, counties, the state, members of Congress, and the unelected boards that are pushing WFNF: SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, plus the Jacksonville City Council.
For much more about WFNF, see:
![[More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-25--wfnf-substituted-into-hb-1417/fbmany.jpg)
More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417
We also heard yesterday from Florida State Representative Chuck Brannan that: Continue reading
Update 2026-05-13: More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill 2026-02-25.
Florida State Senator Corey Simon posted this letter on his facebook page about 1 PM today, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The Madison County Florida Board of County Commissioners also posted it.
Well, I hope that formerly “done deal” is undone.
A catch: a single state Senator does not have the power to undo it.
Another catch: nothing was said about this at the SRWMD Governing Board meeting this morning.
And a third: “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”
Does that mean some parts of it are canceled? Which parts? For example, is SJRWMD cancelling its three-year consultant contract involving wetland siting and pipeline routing?
So, cautious optimism.
And many thanks to Senator Corey Simon, who has long made it clear he opposes WFNF, for example at the SRWMD and SJRWMD dog and pony show at UF IFAS on March 19.
But I will be making some inquiries with SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, and Sen. Simon’s offfice.
SENATOR COREY SIMON
3rd DistrictMay 12, 2026
Subject: Update on the Water First North Florida Project
Dear Neighbor,
I want to provide you with an important update regarding the Water First North Florida Project.
After careful review and continued conversations with local leaders, water experts, property owners, and concerned citizens across North Florida, the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form. While the need to address low water levels in our aquifer remains very real, it has become clear that this proposal is not the right path forward for our communities at this time.
Protecting North Florida’s water supply is one of the most important Continue reading
![[WFNF not done yet --Florida Alligator 2026-06-14, Stacie Greco, Alachua County, Sarah Younger, SSGSCFL]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-06-14--alligator-wfnf/many.jpg)
![[Drought dire, yet approved GRU water withdrawal increase, No response about WFNF @ SJRWMD Board 2026-06-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-06-09--sjrwmd-board-pictures/many.jpg)
![[Speak about WFNF, Taxes, etc., at SJRWMD Board 2026-06-09, Or GRU 15% increase groundwater withdrawal affecting Suwannee Basin]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-06-09--sjrwmd-board/fbmany.jpg)
![[WFNF is being canceled 2026-05-12, FL State Senator Corey Simon; What does this mean: in its current form?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-05-12--wfnf-canceled-corey-simon/fbmany.jpg)