Company wants to pump water from springs.

[Bogie Shooter]

An Ocala company is seeking a 20-year state permit to pump about 500,000 gallons of drinking water per day from two springs along County Road 470 near Sumterville.
(as reported on the news site)
Just don't water you lawn more than twice a week...................

[justjim]

Beware of sinkholes in that area! I read the article---besides increasing the possibility of sinkholes this project would put many more trucks on the road for taxpayers to pay for repair. How about attracting some industry into Sumter County that actually builds something instead of taking away our much needed water

[John_W]

Sumterville is also home to the nation's largest federal prison, Coleman Federal Prison with over 7,000 inmates, among which is Whitey Bulger. Sink Holes in an area like that is not good. It's second to The Villages in Sumter County with over 1300 employees.

Coleman Prison opened in 1995

http://static.theglobeandmail.ca/d69/migration_catalog/article3977114.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/black-prison22nw2.jpg

Coleman II opened in 2004

https://www.clarkconstruction.com/sites/default/files/styles/project_photos/public/project_photos/Coleman_Carousel.jpg?itok=DQUBC635

[CFrance]

Who is supposed to be looking out for us in this situation? Do we have any representation?

[debow]

I wonder if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)'has been done. Requires a public review and comment period. Curious if the county has experienced personnel to provide adequate review.

[Madelaine Amee]

I read this online this morning and cannot imagine what our Reps are doing to allow this in a State like Florida! It is beyond me, but we keep voting for these idiots and they keep amassing more and more money - we, the voters, are the stupid ones.

[debow]

Residents of Sumter County need to contact their local and State representatives. Demand an open public hearing. My opinion is that we the residents of Florida have the most to lose. Depletion of our aquifer, increased chance for contamination of the aquifer, increased pollution from 80-144 tractor trailers per day(per article), and what do the residents get?

[Bogie Shooter]

Here is one that was approved last July to a cattle rancher (billionaire) in Marion county...........for 1.46 million gallons/day.

St. John’s River Water Management Board approves Sleepy Creek permit | Donna Green-Townsend (http://donnagreentownsend.com/update-adena-springs-ranch-faces-deadline-on-water-permit-request-09172013/#.Vm2zbo-cGM8)

[Barefoot]

Residents of Sumter County need to contact their local and State representatives. Demand an open public hearing. My opinion is that we the residents of Florida have the most to lose. Depletion of our aquifer, increased chance for contamination of the aquifer, increased pollution from 80-144 tractor trailers per day(per article), and what do the residents get? What do residents get? More sinkholes? I agree we all need to contact local and State representatives.

[Ron_Ski]

Here is one that was approved last July to a cattle rancher (billionaire) in Marion county...........for 1.46 million gallons/day.

St. John’s River Water Management Board approves Sleepy Creek permit | Donna Green-Townsend (http://donnagreentownsend.com/update-adena-springs-ranch-faces-deadline-on-water-permit-request-09172013/#.Vm2zbo-cGM8)

IHMO you should probably be more concerned about this than you probably are. What is happening is, these entities are locking up water rights today at ridiculously low prices against water shortages in the future. If California is any indication, when water becomes scarce, these entities will be deemed to have senior water rights and your children and grandchildren will be at their mercy.

The reason these shenanigans are permitted is because these entities donate large sums on money to establishment approved candidates of both political parties. You may like Hillary or Jeb because of thier stance on open borders or the XL pipeline but they won't give a rats behind about your childrens' water problems because they are already beholding to these millionaires and billionaires. That is why I encourage you to consider a non traditional candidate on either side.

[jojo]

IHMO you should probably be more concerned about this than you probably are. What is happening is, these entities are locking up water rights today at ridiculously low prices against water shortages in the future. If California is any indication, when water becomes scarce, these entities will be deemed to have senior water rights and your children and grandchildren will be at their mercy.

The reason these shenanigans are permitted is because these entities donate large sums on money to establishment approved candidates of both political parties. You may like Hillary or Jeb because of thier stance on open borders or the XL pipeline but they won't give a rats behind about your childrens' water problems because they are already beholding to these millionaires and billionaires. That is why I encourage you to consider a non traditional candidate on either side.

I agree with most of the posters who say we should do something. I noted that these contracts have to be approved by the state. It appears to me that it would be the governor? I hope someone has some factual information about what to do. I'm ready to take action.

[Retiring]

<< Sinkholes can be triggered by human activities such as:

Overwithdrawal of groundwater
Diverting surface water from a large area and concentrating it in a single point
Artificially creating ponds of surface water
Drilling new water wells >>

They are setting themselves up for a class action lawsuit. As sinkholes increase so will the lawsuits. Since many, if not most, do not have comprehensive sinkhole insurance- I’m sure there will be a class action.

TV, or central FL, is the last place you want to pull water from the ground. What are they thinking? Oh yea $$$.


How Sinkholes Form (http://floridaswater.com/watersupply/howsinkholesform.html)

[bike42]

The first thing we can do is stop buying bottled water. If you think that bottled water is better for you than tap water, you are part of the problem.

[Johnd]

The posters so far may be a little ahead of the facts.

According to the referenced news story, the 2 springs from which the water would come presently have a flow rate of 11.8 million gallons a day. I think that means the 2 springs dump 11.8 million gallons of water a day onto the ground. The company proposes to take .5 million gallons a day. So, 4% of the water dumped on the ground will instead be put into bottles.

The company seeks a 20 year permit. In addition, I think in an emergency, the St. John’s Authority has power to limit users on a blanket or class basis. References to “water rights” seem to be a non starter.

The article also mentions a hydrogeologic analysis indicating a 3 inch drop in the Florida aquifer and 5 inches in the surficial aquifer. Doesn’t sound like the stuff of sinkholes but I’m not sure.

As to the Marion county approval for the “cattle rancher (billionaire)”, I’m pretty sure even a billionaire couldn’t drink 1.46 million gallons a day. It’s probably for cows. Is it fair to wonder if the request would be more respectable if it came from a rancher who was just getting by. Just asking.

Now a little research indicates this is not a new taking, but, according to the Authority, “officials said the permit, the subject of lengthy debate and legal proceedings, combines two existing water use permits for the land and does not allow any increase in water use by the ranch.” Wow, lengthy debate and legal proceedings. No increase in use. What’s up with that? Well, “the District's decision was required by law to be based solely on the record of the administrative proceedings.” Turns out an administrative law judge reviewed the “lengthy record” and ruled for the company.

[justjim]

The first thing we can do is stop buying bottled water. If you think that bottled water is better for you than tap water, you are part of the problem.

While I agree in principle with you to use tap water. Unfortunately, I just don't see that bottle water is going away because of the convenience. Most of us bottle water when away from our homes and millions do not have tap water at all or if they do it is nothing like what we have here in most parts of the U.S.

[NYGUY]

Who is supposed to be looking out for us in this situation? Do we have any representation?

Three of Sumter County's 5 Commissioners live in The Villages. Do they look out for you?

[JoMar]

I suspect that if you are going to fight this you will need facts to support your opposition, not emotion. That would probably involve independent engineering and environmental studies plus expensive lobbying efforts. I suspect the company that wants the water already is way ahead.

[goodtimesintv]

A Must-Read Primer:

“BOTTLING UP” OUR NATURAL RESOURCES: THE FIGHT OVER BOTTLED WATER EXTRACTION IN THE UNITED STATES
TARA BOLDT-VAN ROOY*

"......While bottled water used to be the beverage of only the wealthy, it is now today’s drink of choice of both the health-conscious and average consumer. In the United States alone, consumers drank five billion gallons of bottled water in 2001. This is about the same amount of water that falls in two hours from the American Falls at Niagra Falls.

With the boom in the bottled water industry, bottlers are looking for new sources from which to pump their product. This has sparked a debate over the amount of water that can legally be withdrawn from local bodies of water and sold across the country.

The issue presented by this Note is whether states need to develop stricter laws to protect the quantity of their fresh water resources from the expansion of the bottled water industry......"

http://archive.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/vol18_2/rooy.pdf

[Greg Nelson]

It's all about $$ and who you know. Water will be the new gold

[Madelaine Amee]

The posters so far may be a little ahead of the facts.

According to the referenced news story, the 2 springs from which the water would come presently have a flow rate of 11.8 million gallons a day. I think that means the 2 springs dump 11.8 million gallons of water a day onto the ground. The company proposes to take .5 million gallons a day. So, 4% of the water dumped on the ground will instead be put into bottles.

The company seeks a 20 year permit. In addition, I think in an emergency, the St. John’s Authority has power to limit users on a blanket or class basis. References to “water rights” seem to be a non starter.

The article also mentions a hydrogeologic analysis indicating a 3 inch drop in the Florida aquifer and 5 inches in the surficial aquifer. Doesn’t sound like the stuff of sinkholes but I’m not sure.

As to the Marion county approval for the “cattle rancher (billionaire)”, I’m pretty sure even a billionaire couldn’t drink 1.46 million gallons a day. It’s probably for cows. Is it fair to wonder if the request would be more respectable if it came from a rancher who was just getting by. Just asking.

Now a little research indicates this is not a new taking, but, according to the Authority, “officials said the permit, the subject of lengthy debate and legal proceedings, combines two existing water use permits for the land and does not allow any increase in water use by the ranch.” Wow, lengthy debate and legal proceedings. No increase in use. What’s up with that? Well, “the District's decision was required by law to be based solely on the record of the administrative proceedings.” Turns out an administrative law judge reviewed the “lengthy record” and ruled for the company.

Thank you for your knowledgeable input to this conversation. I was incensed when I read about this in the online paper, but in retrospect the St. Johns Water Board is very vigilent about the use of water in Florida and I am sure they will not allow damaging activity.

[debow]

I wonder how much of this water wether it be fo bottled water or soda's...will remain in our State for sale, consumption and tax revenue.