County initiates update to water-supply work plan required under state law

Palm Beach County moved Friday to initiate a county text-amendment process to update its water-supply facilities work plan, a step county staff said is required by state law after a regional water plan update.

Jeff Gagnon, deputy director of planning, told the board the initiation step authorizes staff work on text and map amendments and does not itself approve changes. "The initiation step is really the first in the county's text amendment process," Gagnon said. "Importantly, initiation of an item does not equal board approval."

Gagnon said the update is required by Florida Statutes 163 and is tied to the South Florida Water Management District's adoption of the Lower East Coast water-supply plan. He said the district adopted that plan last year and that the county must complete and adopt its revisions within 18 months of the district action; staff noted the county is "well ahead of schedule." The item would guide strategies to meet future water demands and evaluate water-source options while considering environmental protections.

The panel voted unanimously to initiate the…