State lists $50 million in springs grants and $50 million in alternative water supply grants for 2026-27

Florida’s state grants website lists two sets of fiscal year 2026-27 awards: $50 million for 23 projects in the Springs Restoration Grant Program and $50 million for 22 projects in the Alternative Water Supply Grant Program, according to award lists SignalData opened Oct. 28.¹² Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the awards Wednesday, Oct. 28, in Crystal River, WWSB and FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.³⁴

The state describes the springs program as money for local governments and other non-state groups to buy land that protects springs and to build projects that protect the quality and quantity of spring water, such as septic-to-sewer conversions, wastewater plant upgrades and stormwater treatment. The water supply program pays for conservation, reuse and other water supply projects, with priority for regional projects in areas of greatest need, the grants page says. Both programs were listed as closed to new applications.⁵

Springs awards

The largest springs awards on the state list are:¹

• Orange County: $7,000,000 for phase 5B of a septic tank retrofit project near Wekiwa Springs
• Wakulla County: $6,757,865 for a septic-to-sewer project in a priority focus area
• Volusia County: $4,027,021 for a septic upgrade incentive program, plus a separate $1,270,000 for a force main expansion near Gemini Springs
• Leon County: $3,500,000 for the Woodville sewer system project
• Suwannee River Water Management District: $3,076,000 to buy the Suwannee Sandhill Tract
• Citrus County: $3,000,000 for a septic upgrade incentive program
• City of DeLand: $3,000,000 for a pump station and force main

In Citrus County, where the governor spoke, the list includes $2,000,000 to Save Crystal River, Inc. for a Kings Bay restoration project and $2,000,000 for a Homosassa River restoration project.¹ Jackson County has three sewer awards, and Alachua, Leon and Marion counties each have awards for septic upgrade incentive programs.¹

State officials expect the springs projects to reduce nitrogen by more than 55,000 pounds a year, WWSB and FOX 13 reported.³⁴

Water supply awards

The biggest alternative water supply award is $10,000,000 to Tampa Bay Water for a surface water treatment expansion.² The governor’s office said the project would add 12.5 million gallons a day of treatment, WWSB reported.³

Seven awards on the list go to Polk County Utilities and six Polk cities and towns for the Polk Regional Alternative Water Supply Receiving Facilities. They range from $4,765,000 for the Town of Dundee to $500,000 for the City of Bartow; Haines City, Winter Haven and Polk County Utilities each receive $2,000,000.² WWSB reported that the Polk awards come to $12.6 million and would let the communities add brackish groundwater to their supplies.³

Other awards include $5,784,615 to the City of Apopka for a reclaimed water extension, $5,006,883 to the City of Fort Myers for a reclaimed water expansion at its central treatment plant and $4,041,984 to the City of Cape Coral for a reclaimed water project.² When finished, the water supply projects are expected to provide more than 60 million gallons a day, according to WWSB.³

What the records do not show

• SignalData could not open the governor’s Oct. 28 news release; the Crystal River location, the nitrogen estimate, the 60 million gallons a day estimate and the Tampa Bay Water and Polk figures come from news reports.
• The state award lists do not say which appropriation or fund pays for the grants, beyond the fiscal year 2026-27 heading.
• The springs list does not estimate nitrogen reduction for each project, and the water supply list gives a daily-gallons figure only for one project, within its name.
• The lists do not have a county column; counties appear only where they are part of a recipient or project name. They also do not show when the money will be paid or when the projects will be finished.
• The lists do not show which applicants were turned down.