SUBJECT
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Approve the Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act Annual Comprehensive Water Resources Report FY2026-2027 (Action)
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DESCRIPTION
The Florida Legislature passed HB 573, known as the Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act, which recognizes the importance of the water resources in and around Polk County. The Act declared that fostering partnerships between the Regional Water Supply Authority and local governments is in the state interest, and in doing so requires that the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) prepare an annual comprehensive report listing projects that are needed to protect and restore the region's water resources so that these may be considered for state funding support. The Annual Report must be submitted to the State by December 1 of each year.
The Legislature has appropriated a grand total of $41,516,832 to the PRWC and its members. Historically, these funds have been used to advance the Southeast Wellfield, West Polk Wellfield alternative supply projects, and individual member projects.
The FY 2026-2027 Annual Report presents summaries for 31 projects submitted by the PRWC and its membership, totaling over $961 million. The projects have been ranked and prioritize the Southeast Wellfield, the Demand Management Plan, and Southeast member receiving facilities. The Annual Report requests approximately $40,659,000 million in state funding support for their implementation in FY 2026-2027.
Staff recommends approval of the report and also recommends that members unite in their messaging to the legislature that funding provided through the Heartland Act is necessary and meaningful to the state.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the board approve the Annual Report, which would then be presented to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District b...
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