Gainesville amends comprehensive plan to adopt joint water supply facilities work plan; lowers per-capita water-use figure

The City Commission unanimously voted on first reading to amend parts of the city’s comprehensive plan to implement the jointly developed Alachua County and City of Gainesville Water Supply Facilities Work Plan.

Planner Nathaniel Chan told the commission the changes are required by state statute following an update to the North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan. The city amendments adopt the joint work plan by reference, update policies in the potable water and wastewater element, the conservation/open-space and groundwater recharge element, and the intergovernmental coordination element, and adjust a planning figure for average daily water use.

Rick Hutton of Gainesville Regional Utilities said the change to the average daily flow reflects a regional decline in gross per-capita demand driven largely by conservation measures implemented over the past decade. The amendment lowers the potable-water planning figure from 147 to 124.5 gallons per capita per day to reflect updated projections and conservation efforts.

Chan noted a minor scrivener’s error in the backup materials that staff will fix before second reading. No members of the public spoke on the item. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the amendments on first reading; staff said they coordinated the work with Alachua County and GRU.

The revisions incorporate the joint water supply facilities work plan into the city’s policy framework and direct the city manager to proceed with the actions outlined in the adopted plan. Staff described the fiscal implications as part of ongoing capital and conservation planning and said no immediate, additional appropriation was required for the comprehensive plan amendment itself.