Seminole County presents ‘Holistic Water Policy’ work session; commissioners press for cost, timing

Seminole County’s long-anticipated Holistic Water Policy was the focus of a lengthy work session at the Aug. 27 commission meeting. Environmental Services Director Kim Orenberg told commissioners the policy, developed with Jacobs, is a living framework intended to integrate conservation, alternative water supplies, watershed management, septic mitigation and utility projects to protect the Upper Florida aquifer and local springs.

Dan Rutland of Jacobs described the approach and five program categories, and said implementation will use an impact/ease-of-implementation matrix and a multi-year road map of tangible, measurable actions. Rutland cited modeling indicating potential to reduce per-capita water use from 137 gallons to the CFWI recommended 115 gallons per day with aggressive conservation measures. Commissioners welcomed the plan but pressed staff on likely costs, financing priorities and the difficulty of monitoring septic systems countywide; several members asked for clearer short-term financial sequencing and requested more frequent updates. Keely (Keeley) Carlton, the county’s new Water Policy Program Manager, outlined planned stakeholder engagement and said the team will return to the board for formal adoption after outreach.

Commissioners signaled broad support for the policy’s goals while underscoring the political and fiscal choices to come — notably how septic-to-sewer conversions would be prioritized and funded. "This is intended to be actionable," Rutland said, describing short-term and long-term measures; commissioners requested staff provide cost estimates and an update cadence for board oversight.