Public-private partnership project will protect water flows and levels
Pictured from left: Putnam County Commissioners Buddy Goddard, Bill Pickens, Larry Harvey; SJRWMD Executive Director Ann Shortelle, Vulcan VP/GM Dean Sunas, SJRWMD Board Member Douglas Burnett, Florida State Representative (19th) Bobby Payne, Vulcan Environmental Manager Mike O’Berry
Pictured from left: Putnam County Commissioners Buddy Goddard, Bill Pickens, Larry Harvey; SJRWMD Executive Director Ann Shortelle, Vulcan VP/GM Dean Sunas, SJRWMD Board Member Douglas Burnett, Florida State Representative (19th) Bobby Payne, Vulcan Environmental Manager Mike O’Berry
PALATKA, Fla., Aug. 30, 2017 — The St. Johns River Water Management District and Vulcan Materials Co. on Wednesday celebrated the completion of a well conversion project in Putnam County that will benefit Clay-Putnam minimum flows and levels (MFLs) while meeting the needs of the Grandin Sand Plant in producing vital construction materials for northeast Florida.
“This project is the result of two teams working together in a collaborative process and striking the right balance to protect the environment while supporting growth through infrastructure and planning,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “This is an excellent example of a public-private partnership that not only achieves the MFL for Lake Grandin, but also reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer by more than 2.6 million gallons per day.”
“Doing the right thing is the only way to do business, and that includes conserving resources and protecting the environment,” said Dean Sunas, vice president and general manager at Vulcan Materials Co. “This partnership with the St. Johns River Water Management District demonstrates how businesses and communities can come together for the benefit of all neighbors and stakeholders.”
The $985,000 investment converts the plant’s water source from the Upper Floridian aquifer to the Lower Floridan aquifer. The project included construction of a Lower Floridan aquifer production well and a Lower Floridan aquifer monitoring well, which allows for additional data collection.
Vulcan’s Grandin Sand Plant provides construction aggregates that form the building blocks for Northeast Florida’s roads, bridges, homes and more.