Water First North Florida: Columbia County 5 Set to Give the Project a Thumbs Down This Morning
March 5, 2026 8:00 am | updated 2:15 pm - approved Cnty 5 letter added
Columbia County Observer photo and
graphic.
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Water First North Florida, the controversial plan to pump 40 million gallons a day of Jacksonville’s treated wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin, will be getting a closer look by the Columbia County 5 this morning.
Yesterday
morning, District 3 Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth
brought a proposed letter in opposition to the Water
First North Florida project to the attention of County
Manager David Kraus. The County Manager worked fast. The
letter is on this morning's County 5 docket.
The plan, Water First North Florida, has been poorly explained by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), which, to many, appears to be a “red-headed stepchild” to the St. Johns Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
We urge reviewing agencies and decision-makers to pursue sustainable alternatives that protect the long-term health of our water resources.
The Columbia County 5
The plan involves piping up to 40 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated wastewater from Jacksonville to recharge the Upper Floridan Aquifer in northeast Florida, specifically targeting the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe river basins.
Supporters claim the following benefits:
The Floridian Aquifer is dangerously low due to over-pumping. They fail to state that Jacksonville is doing the over-pumping. Injecting reclaimed wastewater from Jacksonville could restore flow to the diminished springs in the Suwannee River Basin.
Supporters also claim that the project would usher in more regional cooperation, as it represents cross-county water management.
Critics highlight the following cons:
Environmentalists fear that even treated wastewater contains high nutrient levels (nitrates/phosphates) and pharmaceuticals that could degrade the pristine water quality of the springs and rivers.
The plan’s theory is unproven. Long-term effects on the Suwannee Basin's hydrology and ecosystems are not fully understood. The SRWMD has been unable to explain the hydrology or answer its critics.
Critics also highlight that the project requires massive infrastructure investment (pipelines, pumps, etc.), and argue that the funds are better spent on conservation and reducing existing groundwater withdrawals.
Some residents and environmental groups question whether the plan genuinely serves ecological restoration or primarily benefits development interests in Jacksonville.
The County 5 Letter In Opposition
On the County docket this morning is a letter to the
Suwannee River Water Management District from the County
5 “in opposition to the Water First North Florida
Project.”
The County wrote, “We believe the project poses unacceptable risks to the long-term welfare of our county and region.”
Columbia, piggy-backing off of Madison County’s
February 26, 2026, trend-setting letter to the Suwannee
River Water Management District included the same
concerns, with what appears to be a minor re-write by
the County Attorney.
The key concerns: Environmental Impact; Public Health and Water; Economic Consequences; Lack of Local Benefit
The letter concludes, “The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners opposes the Water First North Florida project in its current form. We urge reviewing agencies and decision-makers to pursue sustainable alternatives that protect the long-term health of our water resources.”