Consumptive Use Permit Approved for JEA Customer Water Use

2011-05-10

Jacksonville, FL - JEA is pleased the Governing Board approved JEA Permit 88271-11 at its meeting on May 10, 2011, as recommended by St. Johns River Water Management District staff. The permit will allow JEA to meet our customers’ future water supply needs for the next 20 years, while ensuring protection of the water resource. It authorizes JEA to withdraw 155 million gallons per day (mgd) from the Floridan aquifer and allows JEA to contingently increase this allocation to 162.63 mgd by providing additional reclaimed water to replace existing permitted uses. 

The permit is conditioned on development of at least 43 mgd of reclaimed water and completion of an alternative water supply facilities master plan, implementation of new or expanded monitoring plans, submission of periodic compliance reports and participation in a minimum level recovery strategy for lakes in the Keystone Heights area. Compliance with all 42 limiting conditions will cost JEA and its customers approximately $288 million over the term of the permit. 

According to JEA CEO, Jim Dickenson, "JEA and the District are partners in providing critical water services to the people of the State of Florida and this permit represents a 20-year commitment by both parties to prudent stewardship of the water resource." With the issuance of this permit, JEA and the District will have completed a process begun more than nine years ago, in which the goal was to streamline and reduce permitting costs by consolidating 27 permits into one 20-year permit. 

JEA is the largest water utility in the District, the second largest water utility in Florida and the eighth largest water utility in the United States serving customers in Duval, Nassau, St. Johns and Clay Counties. It currently serves 718,000 persons and is projected to serve 1,026,000 persons in 2031. 

JEA is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility in the United States, providing electric, water and sewer service to accounts in northeast Florida. 

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