Commission asks staff to strengthen stormwater code, end municipal self‑certification and step up coordination on karst groundwater risks

Alachua County commissioners voted June 3 to pursue multiple changes to the county’s stormwater program following a staff presentation that highlighted gaps in groundwater protection for projects in sensitive karst terrain.

Stacy Greco, EPD’s water resources program manager, opened the presentation and introduced new water resources engineer Mary Zoka. "We will focus on these two points: bringing back the recommendation to strengthen our stormwater code and, then specifically looking at eliminating the current self certification process," Greco said.

EPD staff told the Board that Alachua County’s existing countywide codes — including the wetland code, natural resources code and irrigation design code — provide substantial protection in many cases but leave particular vulnerabilities where development drains directly into karst features and the unconfined aquifer. Mary Zoka said county requirements currently allow municipalities to submit a self‑certification affidavit and that the county typically sees those documents 30 days after final municipal approval, a timing she called too late to influence project design.

Staff reviewed local outcomes and…