Michael Waltz: “When Members think of my home State of Florida, they think of water. From our beaches to our springs to our lakes and…”

“When Members think of my home State of Florida, they think of water. From our beaches to our springs to our lakes and our rivers, Florida's waterways stretch far and wide, covering nearly 26,000 miles. Florida's Sixth District, my district, is no exception, with miles of Atlantic Coast to the east and bordered by the St. Johns River to the west. From the Matanzas River marsh to the Everglades, water is at the heart of Florida's ecosystem and its natural beauty. People are drawn to Florida's water, and the numbers prove it. One thousand people per day move to the Sunshine State, with a record 126 million people visiting Florida last year. Tourism drives our economy, and Florida's tourism is dependent on clean water and its natural resources. Unfortunately, our water quality is threatened right now. We saw a new blue-green algae bloom erupt in the St. Johns River just last month. While it is too early to know exactly the specific cause of this incident, we do know what causes algae blooms, and there are steps the government can and should take to prevent them. This is why I am focusing my efforts to remove septic tanks from my district and connecting those communities to new sewer utilities. I am grateful for our State lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis, who prioritized water quality this year, putting $49 million toward water quality and wastewater grants and $25 million specifically for septic- to-sewer conversions.…”