Florida is allocating more than $389 million in grants to improve water quality and expand its water supply infrastructure, as announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The funds include $189 million in water quality improvement grants, $55 million in alternative water supply grants, and additional allocations to programs focused on the Indian River Lagoon, Karozahachie basin, and Biscayne Bay.
A total of 31 high-priority projects were selected to combat nutritional pollution by upgrading wastewater and stormwater treatment facilities and migrating purification systems to sewer connections. These projects are expected to cut more than 1.1 million pounds of nitrogen and 286,000 pounds of phosphorus each year.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees the funds. Secretary Alexis A. Lambert said the project aims to improve the health of Florida waterways.
Additionally, 14 projects will receive a total of $55 million from the Alternative Water Supply Grant Program, aiming to generate more than 40 million gallons of water per day within two years. Since 2019, the state has invested $245 million in developing alternative water supply.
Overall, Desantis Administration has awarded about $2.9 billion to water projects in more than 1,000 communities, with more than 250 completed, significantly reducing nutrient loads in state waters. The funding is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable water quality and supply in Florida.
