The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday approved the consolidation of three water use permits (WUP) for Hernando County Utilities.
The consolidated permit includes an increase in quantities. The new permit is for a combined annual average quantity of 24,390,000 gallons per day (gpd), which is an increase of 3,360,000 gpd or 16 percent.
Gross per capita use is projected to decrease by 12 percent, from 187 gallons per person per day to 164 gallons per person per day. However, additional quantities are needed due to population growth in west-central Hernando County.
As part of the permit, the county must submit an Impact Management Plan for District approval that identifies actions to be taken to ensure that no adverse impacts occur to the water resources.
The consolidated permit also contains special conditions that require the county to submit pumpage reports, groundwater-level and surface-water-level data monitoring reports, water quality monitoring reports, an annual water conservation report, a hydration implementation plan and an alternative water supply plan, as well as capping or abandoning of wells and performance of a water audit.
The 21,749-acre service area is dispersed throughout Hernando County west of U.S. Highway 41.
The permit expires June 29, 2010.