PALM BAY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Tuesday morning in Palm Bay to announce millions of dollars in grants to improve water quality and supply across the state.
Press play above to watch the news conference
During the news conference, DeSantis announced he is awarding $389 million in grants, including $189 million in water quality improvement grants.
“These efforts will help communities upgrade wastewater treatment, improve stormwater systems and connect septic systems to sewer lines, all to keep our water cleaner and healthier,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also awarded $55 million to expand alternative water supply projects.
“We’ve got a lot of water issues in Florida that we deal with. Making sure we have adequate water supply is sometimes overlooked,” DeSantis said.
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert said in addition to the water quality improvement grants, they are focusing on targeted restoration efforts in key waterways such as the Indian River Lagoon.
Lambert pointed out that so far, they’ve invested $500 million and 169 community-led projects in this watershed. To date, 40 projects, including septic to sewer and storm water, have been completed, with 27 scheduled for completion later this year.
On Tuesday, Lambert announced they are “taking the next step” and will fund 25 new projects specifically to address water quality.
DeSantis said he is also proposing $550 million for next year’s budget to continue advancing water quality improvement projects.