October 2008

U.S. Water News Online

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The head of Florida's environmental agency announced a plan for Northeast Florida's cities and utilities to spend more than $600 million to improve the quality of the St. Johns River.

The move is designed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus entering the river, which would shrink algae blooms and help underwater grass beds where fish live and eat.

It took 9 years of talks between the state agency, local governments and people representing business, farming and public interests to agree on the plan. Among the measures — imposing a quota on pollution entering the river from sewage treatment plants, monitoring storm water draining off highways and retiring some septic tanks.

Officials say the plan could take as much as 15 years — or more — to be completed.

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