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Florida Grants Pay for Springs Restoration and Alternative Water Supplies
Florida springs restoration projects receive $50 million for work expected to cut Total Nitrogen, while a second $50 million backs reclaimed water, aquifer recharge and conservation.
Forty-five water projects across Florida will split $100 million in state grants, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced Oct. 28.
Of that total, $50 million from the Springs Restoration Grant Program goes to 23 projects meant to restore the state’s springs. Through wastewater improvements and other upgrades, the projects will together cut more than 55,000 pounds of Total Nitrogen a year, the department said.
Among the springs awards, Citrus County will get $3 million to convert septic systems to sewer and add nitrogen-reducing features, work the department said will benefit Chassahowitzka-Homosassa Springs and Kings Bay and Crystal River Springs. Volusia County’s $4 million incentive project helps homeowners add nitrogen-reducing features to their current conventional septic systems, a project the department said will benefit DeLeon Spring.
A second $50 million, from the Alternative Water Supply Grant Program, goes to 22 projects meant to ease Florida’s dependence on conventional freshwater supplies. The work centers on wider use of reclaimed water, more aquifer recharge and water conservation. The department said the projects will help produce more than 60 million gallons a day.
Named awards in that round include $12.6 million for seven Polk County communities to add brackish water to their supplies, working with the Polk Regional Water Cooperative. Tampa Bay Water gets $10 million to boost its capacity to treat surface water by 12.5 million gallons per day. Six projects involving reclaimed water share $19.1 million meant to offset demand for potable water.
All Water Quality and Supply Grant projects selected for fiscal year 2026-27 are listed at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/Grants.
