ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates discovered Orange County has a plan to drill new and deeper water wells.
A part of west Orange County that used to be lined with orange groves will soon be packed with homes, and those new residents will need water, a resource the state is running out of.
The deep water that feeds the Little Wekiva River will be tapped again to support a growing population. Thirty miles south of the river, Orange County plans to start drilling five wells deep into the lower aquifer.
"When you pull water out of the lower, it creates an opening where the upper will pour into it," Longwood resident Chuck O'Neil said.
O'Neil live nears the Wekiva Springs and worked in the past on environmental issues. He believes the springs have suffered for years and continued pumping is making things worse.
"Spring flow is down, and that adds to the concentration of nitrates and phosphates in the water," O'Neil said.
The permits to allow Orange County to drill the wells were issued years ago, but never used. On Tuesday, the state agency in charge of the water allowed the county to amend the permits to use the wells and drill deeper.
Critics said pumping water from the lower Floridian aquifer is still pumping, and will continue to tax surface water and the springs.
"Just the past 30 years has been a tremendous change," O'Neil said.
The county said the water coming from the lower aquifer tends to have more salt in it, which will cost more to remove.