Governor Signs Bill Shifting Control of Apalachicola Water System | WJHG
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 4103, creating the Apalachicola Water and Sewer District to take over water and sewer service from the city, with assets transferring December 1, 2026. The move follows a 2025 water crisis tied to Hurricane Helene damage, and a five-member board appointed by the governor and local commissions will oversee the new district.
‘How High Can You Go?’: JEA to Consider Rate Hike Tuesday | Action News Jax
JEA’s board considered a rate plan that would generate $106.8 million in additional annual revenue, raising average residential bills by $8.61 a month. If approved, JEA’s rates would exceed Miami’s, and one city councilmember argued JEA should cut its city contribution instead of raising rates.
Zone 4 Commissioner Harold Briley discussed infrastructure, water quality and growth pressures in a Q & A, citing the $17.5 million Fleming Avenue pump station project to address Central Park flooding and his opposition to deep well injection of treated effluent under the “toilet-to-tap” proposal. He also said he’d support a City Charter ban requiring a super-majority vote to approve AI data centers, citing their strain on water and electricity resources.
Water Joins Energy as Top AI Flashpoint | Axios
Axios reports that water use is becoming a major flashpoint in the AI data center buildout, after a year in which tech companies mainly defended their electricity demands. The piece frames water availability as an emerging fight alongside energy in debates over AI infrastructure expansion.
Florida Engineers Build Gel That Snags PFAS Forever Chemicals from Water | The Cool Down
Chemical engineers at the University of Florida published findings showing a reusable gel removed PFAS (“forever chemicals”) from water more effectively than many commonly used commercial products. The findings, published June 8 in Energy and Environmental Materials, offer a potential new option for protecting drinking water from these contaminants.
After Bold Pledge, EPA Shelves Microplastics Testing in U.S. Drinking Water | LA Times 💲
The EPA’s newly proposed drinking water testing rule omits microplastics and pharmaceuticals despite Administrator Lee Zeldin’s April announcement designating them priority contaminants, with the agency saying it lacks a validated method to test for plastic particles before testing must begin in December. The next chance to add contaminants to the mandatory monitoring list won’t come for five years, drawing criticism from environmental groups who note California and the EU already have testing protocols in development.
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is relocating its wastewater treatment plant away from the Indian River Lagoon to an inland site, part of a three-part plan that also includes relining aging sewer pipes and expanding service to neighborhoods on septic. The relocation follows a 2017 spill and the 2020 seagrass die-off, and is paired with a restoration project that has planted over 1,000 shoal grass units.
Florida City Could Be Raising Water, Sewer Rates to Pay for New Plant | TCPalm 💲
Vero Beach officials are considering raising water and sewer rates for city customers next year to cover rising operating and construction costs tied to the city’s new wastewater treatment plant.
City Granted $4 Million from State for Stormwater Project in New Town | Keys News
The City of Key West received a $4 million grant from the Florida DEP’s Resilient Florida Program to fund stormwater infrastructure on Harris Avenue and 10th Street in New Town. City Manager Brian L. Barroso said the funding will help address flooding while easing the burden on local taxpayers.
