The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for DeSoto County Utilities.
The modified permit increases the permitted quantities for the county. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 415,000 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 821,600 gpd, which is an increase of 406,600 gpd.
The quantity was increased to meet the water demands associated with the expansion of the DeSoto Correctional Institute and the Florida Civil Commitment Center, which are located approximately 10 miles east of Arcadia on Hwy. 70.
The permit requires the county to maintain its existing meters and install meters on the proposed withdrawals. It also calls for the county to continue its monthly withdrawal reports to the District and comply with the District’s Southern Water Use Caution Area recovery strategy. The recovery strategy outlines the District’s strategy for ensuring adequate water supplies are available to meet growing demands, while at the same time protecting and restoring the water and related natural resources of the region.
The DeSoto County Utilities permit expires Nov. 18, 2014.