Following you will read an article from SRWMD describing how the district will save up to 90,000 gallons per day of water, and up to 32.8 million per year. The cost is $350,000. OSFR thinks this is great and we commend all those who are instigating, participating and paying.
OSFR however, noted that at the last board meeting on June 9 in Live Oak, the board approved increase modifications to two separate water withdrawals for over one million gallons PER DAY. Two separate permits, so the total at the one meeting approved permits for two million gallons per day. How much is this per year, compared to the new project of 32.8? In theory it is 32.8 versus 730. Of course, those permittees will very likely not utilize the maximum every day, but the permits are there.
But, keeping in mind that now with the new MFLs so proudly in place for the Ichetucknee and lower Santa Fe Rivers and together they are about 11 million gallons per day below their amount allotted by our DEP,
the only adjective for this is heinous. Or maybe unconscionable. We could probably think of some others.
Of course the DEP may say, well these permits are not on those rivers, but we will say, indeed, they are on that aquifer. 
On June 15, 2015 at 06:00PM, Suwannee River Water Management District published the following article:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Abby Johnson, Office of Communications
Suwannee River Water Management District
386.362.1001 or 800.226.1066 (FL)
www.mysuwanneeriver.comColumbia County water conservation project is underway”
Live Oak, FL,
June 15, 2015The Columbia County Water Conservation project designed to benefit theLower Santa Fe River and associated springs is underway. Replacing existing inefficient water fixtures with high efficiency fixtures
in commercial buildings, this project will result in permanent and cost-effective improvements in water use efficiency.Projected benefits of these coordinated efforts include water savings upwards of 90,000 gallons
of water per day or 32.8 million gallons per year, through reduced gallons of water used per flush. Commercial entities throughout Columbia County and Lake Cityare invited to participate in this retrofit rebate program. This programis a partnership with the Suwannee River Water Management District (District), Columbia County, the Lake City/Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, the Ichetucknee Partnership, and the Department of Environmental Protection.
Retrofitting toilets and faucet aerators with high efficiency fixtures saves
water that would otherwise be wasted. High Efficiency Toilets are designed to accomplish a flush with an average of 20 percent less water use than current 1.6 gallon models. However, depending on the age of the toilet, an average of 3 gallons per flush could be saved.With the addition of faucet aerators, water flow can be reduced from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute, further improving water use efficiency.
This project is made possible by the Governor and Legislature’s springs funding. The total project cost for the project is $350,000. The District is contributing $30,000, the Department of Environmental Protection is contributing $250,000, and Local Cooperators are contributing $70,000.
This project is one of nine springs projects in the District funded through the partnership with DEP.
For more information contact Carree Olshansky by email CRO@srwmd.org, phone 386-362-1001 or visit www.mysuwaneeriver.comRead this article from Suwannee River Water Management District at http://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=493.
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