Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1436
By Senator Gibson
9-01200-15 20151436__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to water supply planning and
3 oversight; creating s. 373.717, F.S.; providing
4 legislative intent; creating the Florida Statewide
5 Water Oversight and Planning Council within the
6 Department of Environmental Protection to guide and
7 assist water forecasting plans for the state;
8 providing for the membership of the council; requiring
9 the council to carry out certain tasks; requiring the
10 council to submit 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year water
11 forecasting plans by specified dates; providing an
12 effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 373.717, Florida Statutes, is created to
17 read:
18 373.717 Florida Statewide Water Oversight and Planning
19 Council.—
20 (1) INTENT.—The Legislature finds that an oversight council
21 is necessary to ensure the sustainability and availability of
22 sufficient water supplies for current and future uses in this
23 state while protecting natural systems. The Legislature intends
24 that the council shall advise in determining the best approach
25 to prevent or minimize damage from floods, and protect and
26 enhance the natural system values of floodplains; improve,
27 protect, and maintain the quality of surface and groundwater;
28 and preserve, protect, and restore water dependent natural
29 systems.
30 (2) CREATION.—The Florida Statewide Water Oversight and
31 Planning Council is created as an advisory council pursuant to
32 chapter 20 within the department to provide a statewide
33 oversight perspective that will guide and assist the development
34 of a 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year water forecasting plan for the
35 state.
36 (3) MEMBERS.—The council shall consist of 15 members as
37 follows:
38 (a) Two members appointed by the Governor.
39 (b) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
40 Representatives.
41 (c) One member appointed by the President of the Senate.
42 (d) One member from the Department of Agriculture appointed
43 by the Commissioner of Agriculture.
44 (e) One member from the Department of Environmental
45 Protection appointed by the Secretary of Environmental
46 Protection.
47 (f) One member from the Sierra Club.
48 (g) One member from the Florida Homebuilders Association.
49 (h) One member from the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
50 (i) One member from the Associated Industries of Florida.
51 (j) One member from each of the five water management
52 districts appointed by the executive director of each water
53 management district, respectively.
54 (4) LONG-RANGE WATER FORECASTING PLANS.—
55 (a) The council shall carry out all of the following tasks
56 in developing the long-range water forecasting plans that ensure
57 the state has sufficient water to sustain the state’s
58 population, agricultural industry, and environmental resources:
59 1. Identify and inventory existing sources of potable water
60 and identify new sources of potable water.
61 2. Identify ways to promote water conservation education
62 and practices and the reuse of reclaimed water and treated
63 wastewater for nonpotable purposes, such as landscape irrigation
64 and farming.
65 3. Make recommendations on projects for creating new
66 potable water sources, preserving existing water sources,
67 creating reservoirs and water storage, assisting with flood
68 protection and floodplain management.
69 4. Review the impact of underground activity that may
70 impact or pollute the aquifer, including drilling, fracking,
71 chemical injection, mining, and stormwater injection.
72 5. Review the impact of activities that involve dredging.
73 6. Develop recommendations for protection of the natural
74 water systems of the state, including lakes, springs, wetlands,
75 marshes, wildlife habitats, recreational sites, and streams to
76 be provided to the Department of Environmental Protection.
77 7. Develop recommendations on the management of beaches and
78 coastal systems, Everglades restoration, wetland and submerged
79 land protection, and beach renourishment.
80 (b) The 5-year water forecasting plan must be submitted to
81 the Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 2017, and the 10
82 year and 20-year water forecasting plans must be submitted by
83 January 1, 2018.
84 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.