Ground Water Program
Sources of high quality ground water underlie virtually all
of Florida. Ninety percent of this state's population relies
on these ground water resources for their drinking water.
Additionally, over 50% of all other water needs including
agricultural, industry, mining, and electric power generation
are supplied by ground water resources. Ground water also
serves as the source for Florida’s many springs and provides a
significant input to many of Florida’s lakes and rivers.
In DEP, responsibility for ground water is divided into two
individual programs – ground water protection and ground water
regulatory.
The Ground Water Protection
Program is responsible for conducting programs and
activities that assess and protect the state’s ground water
resources, integrating ground water protection activities into
Florida’s watershed program. Activities include conducting
basin-scale and detailed ground water evaluations and
assessments, development of ground water-surface water
interaction assessment tools, management of the USEPA Section
106 ground water grant, management of research and monitoring
projects under Florida’s Springs Initiative, oversight of
agricultural best management practice ground water monitoring
studies, and participation in evaluations of new pesticides
that have potential ground water impacts.
Ground Water Protection programs include:
- Ground Water – Surface Water Interaction & Basin
Assessment
- Springs Initiative
- Data Assessments & Statistics
- Agrichemical Effects – Pesticides & Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
- Technical Support – Ground Water
The Ground Water Regulatory Program
is responsible for implementation and support of regulatory
programs affecting ground water. The Department of
Environmental Protection exercises regulatory authority over
ground water quality under Chapter 62-520, F.A.C. In Florida
the ground water standards are equivalent to the drinking
water standards. By definition, a violation of any ground
water standard or criterion constitutes pollution.
Regulatory programs affecting ground water include:
- Underground Injection Control Program (UIC)
- Ground Water Delineation Program
- Florida Unique Well Identifier Program (FLUWID)
- Source Water Assessment and Protection Program (SWAPP)
- Wellhead Protection Program
- Water Well Contractors Information and Violations
Clearinghouse
New! For information about Ground Water Cleanup Target
Levels please see:
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