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TALLAHASSEE- The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) received an award for the
State’s efforts to promote water conservation and reuse.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently
awarded DEP’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF)
with the Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating
Environmental Success (PISCES) Award, which recognizes
one state program or project annually in each of the 10
EPA regions.
“Florida is committed to protecting our lakes,
rivers, streams and aquifer systems by using highly
developed water quality improvement technologies,” said
DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “I am pleased that
our State Revolving Fund program has been awarded the
recognition it deserves for aggressively helping
communities to build and upgrade wastewater systems to
ensure the highest standards are met.”
Since its inception in 1988, Florida’s State
Revolving Fund program has awarded more than $2 billion
in loans for water quality protection projects,
including funding 83 water reuse projects totaling over
$260 million. One such project in Florida, noted in the
award recognition, is the Holloway Tree Farm. Holloway
Tree Farm operates a recycling system which does not
draw surface or ground water, conserving more than 100
million gallons. In addition, the system does not
discharge pollutants into the surrounding environment.
“Because of the State’s commitment, Florida’s water
is better protected today than it was seven years ago,”
said DEP Director of Water Resource Management Mimi
Drew. “Florida’s water quality standards are among the
highest in the nation and it is rewarding when such a
deserving program receives federal recognition.”
The State Revolving Fund Programs were established to
provide low-interest financing to plan, design and build
public water, wastewater and stormwater systems. Funds
can be used for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater,
reuse, water quality projects, brownfields, estuary
protection and other water quality improvement projects.
Funded by federal capitalization grants, state matching
funds, loan repayments and interest earnings, State
Revolving Fund Program loans are offered at interest
rates as low as 32 percent below current market rates.
Repayments are used to finance new loans, allowing the
program to operate in perpetuity.
Under the leadership of Governor Jeb Bush and the
Florida Legislature, Florida has invested more than $1.9
billion to improve wastewater treatment, clean up
stormwater pollution and upgrade drinking water
facilities, funding more than 950 projects statewide
since 1999. Over the last seven years, the State
Revolving Fund Program awarded more than $1.3 billion to
plan, design and build water facilities across the
state, including almost $290 million last year.
For more information on the State Revolving Fund
Program, visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/index.htm. | 
