Local governments

Comprehensive planning

Traditional water supply sources in some areas of Florida are not sufficient to meet the future needs of the state’s growing population and the needs of the environment, agriculture, industry and mining. Water management districts have identified areas where existing and planned water supply sources will not be able to meet all future needs without resulting in unacceptable impacts to water resources and related natural systems. Legislative changes to growth management laws were made in 2002, 2004 and 2005 to more effectively address the state’s water supply situation by improving the link between local governments’ land use plans and water management districts’ regional water supply plans. Local governments must address the enhanced water supply planning requirements by demonstrating that future land use map amendments are based upon the availability of water supplies and water supply facilities and by completing updates to their comprehensive plans and adopting related amendments. The information provided below is to assist local governments in complying with the enhanced water supply planning requirements.

Future land use map amendments

The legislative changes require comprehensive plan amendments, including map changes or policy changes relative to the set of land uses allowed on the Future Land Use Map, to be based upon the availability of water supplies and water supply facilities. Guidelines regarding the appropriate data and analysis to support the amendments are being developed by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), in coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the water management districts.

St. Johns River Water Management District (District) has developed a “Potable Water Availability Work Sheet” that is designed to help local governments calculate changes in water demand and identify water supply availability, considering infrastructure, permitted allocation under consumptive use permits and source. Local governments can submit the completed work sheet as data and analysis in support of future land use map amendments or provide the information requested on the work sheet in their staff reports used to support the amendments.

Required updates to comprehensive plans

The legislative changes require local governments to update their comprehensive plans to address water supply planning and to adopt related amendments. Guidelines regarding how to complete the updates and amendments have been developed by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), in coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the water management districts. Many of the comprehensive plan updates are now linked to water management districts approving updated regional water supply plans. Senate Bill 360 and Senate Bill 444, enacted in 2005, created that link. For local governments within the District, the comprehensive plan updates are required subsequent to the Governing Board approving an update to the District Water Supply Plan (DWSP).

The District’s Governing Board approved an updated DWSP on February 7, 2006. Many local governments are now required to update their comprehensive plans to incorporate alternative water supply projects selected from the water supply development projects identified in the DWSP or proposed by the local governments. In addition, local governments in areas identified as priority water resource caution areas in the DWSP are now required to update their comprehensive plans to identify alternative and traditional water supply projects, conservation and reuse necessary to meet the water needs in their jurisdictions and to include a 10-year work plan for building public, private and regional water supply facilities that are necessary to meet the water needs. Additional information regarding the DWSP, alternative water supply projects and priority water resource caution areas is available on the District’s website.