Senator Lauren Book and Representative Kristin Jacobs today commended Governor Ron DeSantis for signing an historic water supply bill that will have profound impact on South Florida’s water supply for generations to come.
The bill (HB 95) amends Florida statutes to ensure the future operation of the geologically unique C-51 Reservoir, will be used to store water for later consumptive use. The project has been fully designed and permitted to allow the South Florida Water Management District to capture 35 million gallons a day that are currently being lost to tide. The C-51 water will be used to recharge well fields of participating local utilities allowing them to combat increased saltwater contamination to local potable water supplies.
Also, of note, in 2017, the C-51 Reservoir was one of two reservoirs identified for implementation in SB 10 to help reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to coastal estuaries.
“The importance of this historic measure cannot be overstated as its impact on South Florida water will be felt both in terms of availability of clean drinking water and impacting our environment for the foreseeable future,” stated Senate Sponsor Lauren Book, “Everyone involved in making this happen should be thanked for the incredible effort that went into this landmark legislation.”
“The C-51 Reservoir project has been a labor of love of mine for more than a decade going back to my time as Commissioner and Mayor of Broward County.Literally hundreds of people and thousands of hours have gone into making this vital water project a reality. I am thankful for everyone who made this a possibility and especially the Governor for seeing it through and ultimately making it the law of Florida,” stated Representative Kristin Jacobs the House Bill sponsor, “Our long term fears of saltwater intrusion due to rising seas and population growth can now be properly addressed in a meaningful and impactful way.”
About Senator Lauren Book
Senator Lauren Book, M.S. Ed, is an internationally respected and renowned child advocate, former classroom teacher and best-selling author. She represents the Broward County-based District 32 in the Florida Senate, and was elected to serve in 2016. Following her advocacy in the wake of the Parkland massacre, Senator Book was appointed to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission to investigate mass shootings and recommend policy to reduce the possibility of future such tragedies. In her capacity as Founder and CEO of Florida-based nonprofit Lauren’s Kids, Book works tirelessly to prevent child sexual abuse and help survivors heal, and has been named a PEOPLE All-Star Among Us, GLAMOUR Woman of the Year, and L’Oreal Woman of Worth. She is the recipient of a Congressional Medal of Merit for her tireless work to protect childhood and sits on the Florida Children’s Cabinet. She is an EMMY and Gracie Award-winning television producer and has been featured by national media outlets including Newsweek, NPR, Cosmopolitan Magazine, the Huffington Post, USA Today and many more.
