Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • October 2017 | Page 4

LORIDA WATER FOR
FLORIDA WATER FORUM 2017
by Colleen Thayer,
cjt Strategies
Presented by Associated
Industries of Florida (AIF),
the 2017 Florida Water
Forum has been meeting
annually for several years to
address the critical issues
of Florida’s water supply,
planning and quality. This
year, the Forum brought
together representatives from
local and state government,
utilities, agriculture and
industry to discuss topics
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DITCHMEN • OCTOBER 2017
ranging from reuse policy to
private funding structures
for water resource projects,
solutions for springs
and estuaries, a national
perspective on water reuse
policy, and the a preview of
the 2018 Legislative Session.
2018 Legislative Preview
Florida’s legislative
leadership is devoting more
time, money, and attention
to water than it has done in
many years. Last session
the Legislature passed
SB 10, Water Resources.
Additionally, Florida’s Water
and Land Conservation
Constitutional Amendment
has generated additional
funding for water and natural
resources, and over the
last few years $50 million
annually has been devoted to
springs restoration. However,
Florida still faces significant
challenges with some of its
largest economic regions
as they struggle with water
quality concerns and are
planning for long-term
sustainable water supplies