Strong public interest shown in draft CFWI 2020 Regional Water Supply plan

Strong public interest as plan moves through review process

Above-average webinar attendance and a groundswell of comments indicate strong public interest in the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) draft 2020 Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP).

“CFWI public workshop webinars generally draw about 20 or 30 people, but our April 23 webinar drew more than 200 people, and another 50 people attended our April 30 webinar,” said Tammy Bader-Gibbs, RWSP Team Lead. “In addition, we also received more than 200 different comments from 90 stakeholders before the May 15 deadline. All public comments and feedback are taken into consideration and will be included in the plan's appendix.”

Although the public comment deadline has passed, the CFWI RWSP remains available to view on the CFWI website. The plan identifies existing and projected water needs as well as projects and funding sources to meet those needs in the CFWI Planning Area over the next 20 years. The CFWI Planning Area consists of all of Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Polk counties and southern Lake County, covering approximately 5,300 square miles.

The CFWI 2020 RWSP has been developed collaboratively among the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the St. Johns, Southwest and South Florida water management districts, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, public water supply utilities and other stakeholder groups.

After incorporating any appropriate changes or comments as a result of public review, the RWSP Team will bring the final draft of the 2020 CFWI RWSP back to the CFWI Steering Committee in October for approval.

In November, the governing boards of the three water management districts will consider the plan for approval, thereby establishing a water supply strategy for the fivecounty area for the next two decades. Once approved, the plan will be updated approximately every five years.