Planning for the region’s future water needs is a key component of the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) public service mission.
DID YOU KNOW: Every day, more than 3 billion gallons of water are used in Central and Southern Florida for watering our lawns, drinking, bathing, growing crops, and servicing industries?
The SFWMD’s team of scientists, engineers, water managers, and many other employees proactively develop long-term water supply plans that monitor, evaluate and identify water sources and projects to meet future water needs throughout its 16-county region.
GROWING DEMAND, LIMITED RESOURCES: As demand for our traditional groundwater and surface water sources grows, the SFWMD is working to ensure there are sufficient water supplies to meet the needs of the region’s residents, visitors, and the environment – now and in the future.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE NEEDS: By developing long-term water supply plans, implementing water conservation measures and identifying alternative water supplies, we can diversify our water supply and reduce the demand on water resources.
FIVE PLANNING AREAS: The SFWMD works with its partners, stakeholders, and members of the public to develop regional water supply plans for five planning areas encompassing the District. The five distinct regional water supply planning areas include:
📍 Upper Kissimmee Basin: Includes portions of Orange, Osceola and Polk counties and is within the boundaries of the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI), where the South Florida, St. Johns River and Southwest Florida water management districts collaboratively develop a plan for the region.
📍 Lower Kissimmee Basin: Includes portions of Glades, Okeechobee, and Highlands counties (generally northwest of Lake Okeechobee) and the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Brighton Reservation.
📍 Upper East Coast: Encompasses Martin and St. Lucie counties as well as the northeastern portion of Okeechobee County.
📍 Lower East Coast: Includes Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and parts of Monroe, Collier and Hendry counties.
📍 Lower West Coast: Includes Lee County and portions of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Monroe counties.
Each plan evaluates current and future water demands and identifies water sources for all of our region’s needs while protecting water resources and the environment. Water supply plans look at least 20 years into the future and are updated every five years to stay current with growth trends.
YOU CAN HELP US PLAN: The SFWMD is currently updating the water supply plan for the Lower East Coast of Florida. The plan assesses current and projected water needs in the Lower East Coast Water Supply Planning Area through 2045.
We encourage you to join us on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 10:00am for the third public meeting about the Draft 2023-2024 Lower East Coast (LEC) Water Supply Plan Update. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom, and you can register here. This and other water supply planning meetings are available at SFWMD.gov/Meetings.
Visit SFWMD.gov/WaterSupply to learn more about the Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan Update and the SFWMD’s continued commitment to planning for Central and Southern Florida’s future water needs.