Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite : Proudly Representing Florida's Congressional District

Water Quality

A truly important issue in Florida, Ginny has long-been in the forefront on alternative water supply issues and has been a staunch protector of local water sources. One of her top priorities has been to secure funding for the Chassahowitzka River cleanup.  To date Ginny has secured more than $3 million for the cleanup program.

In her tenure in the Florida State Senate, she introduced and passed Local Sources First, legislation that requires cities and counties to tap water in their own regions before looking for water elsewhere.  This legislation was intended to protect smaller towns and counties from having their water sources tapped by larger ones. 

In the past, Ginny had the opportunity to join over 60 of her colleagues in voicing their disapproval over the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule dubbed “blending.” This procedure which would have allowed publicly owned treatment works to combine filtered but untreated wastewater with fully treated water during rain events and then discharge this “blended” wastewater into Florida’s waterways.  Allowing this rule to go forward would have eliminated a crucial second step to the treatment of Florida’s wastewaters and was something for which Ginny could not stand.  Florida’s cities and local governments work too hard to protect our waterways, only to have them polluted during the next rain. Thankfully, the EPA decided against going forward on this ill-conceived idea and Florida’s waterways remain safe. 

Additionally in Congress, Ginny has joined many of her colleagues in requesting that funding for rural water projects be made a priority.  She will continue her vigilance on the water issue and will work to ensure that water is preserved, consumed, and sold in the most responsible way possible.