Dear Members,

 Ocala is the hotspot this month with back to back meetings. Thursday, Feb 20th
join us at Drillmax with a refresher course on Rig Maintenance and Safety. Then
Friday, Feb 21st at Driller's Services for the FGWA Membership Meeting where
we'll discuss the FDEP Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee River (LSFIR)
Proposed Strategy, prohibiting the construction and use of private residential
irrigation wells. The Outstanding Florida Springs (OFS) Proposed Rule recently
received considerable backlash from an advocacy group, The Florida Springs
Council. You can read the article covering the Jan 6th hearing in the Jan 21st
edition of the Gainesville Sun. You have an upcoming opportunity to attend a
public hearing regarding the OFS strategy on Feb 12th in Tallahassee. Check the
NCFWWA Facebook page for more info on these topics. To read these Proposed
Strategies visit FloridaDEP.gov Office of Water Policy-Rulemaking.

Melissa Sheffield   President

North Central Florida Water Well Association

GROUND WATER, FLORIDA’S  MOST IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCE.  HELP PROTECT IT !       
       shedriller1@gmail.com

Hello my Fellow Members,

    Our last meeting and continuing education class was very informative. Thank
you to Brent Burke with Ruso Filters for his presentation on different
applications of filters including their new line, the Poe-1 filters. Please ask
your sales manager about this filter if interested it will be available soon to
order. Thank you to Wendy, Ron Myers and sons from A&W Pump service for
cooking our delicious meal. Our next meeting will be at Drill max in Ocala. We
will be offering 1 S/B on Rig maintenance and safety presented by Robert
Stewart. Fees for this class are free to all members of NCFWWA and $35.00
for non-members and includes dinner. For non- members interested in joining
us for the event, please contact me for reservations via email. See you all
there.

Sincerely, Robin hook
Vice President

  Robin_at.ncfwwa@yahoo.com

   Think about the value you receive from being a member of the North Central Florida Water Well Association. We hold monthly meetings, eight of which are designated for continuing education each year. We also enjoy an Easter dinner, our annual picnic and auction in June, a Thanksgiving dinner with elections in November, and a Christmas party. Additionally, we have dinner at all other meetings.
But there's another significant benefit our association provides: When issues arise, like the current regulatory changes, we can collectively have our say. Whether these changes are good or bad, everyone should have input, and the best way to ensure this is by being a member of the association.
At one time, we had 164 members. For many years now, we've barely reached 75. The more members we have, the stronger our voice. It can't be the cost of membership, considering all the benefits – where else can you get continuous education and a meal at every meeting for just $50 a year?
What do we need to do to increase our membership? I know some of you have ideas about changes or updates we might need. We're open to suggestions. Our next meeting is in Ocala this month at Drillmax. It would be great to see a good turnout from the Ocala group, who seem to have withdrawn from the association for reasons unknown to me.
Years ago, when regulations were proposed that would affect drillers' income, both members and non-members showed up in force. We need to attend meetings every month, not just when regulatory changes are on the table. I know we are all competitors, but we don't need to view each other as enemies because there's enough work in this industry for everyone.
I will stop my rant here and hope to see you at the next meeting.


LESTER BURCH
Burch Water Well Product

Suwannee River Water Management District Update




I would like to say thank you for being selected as the Association’s 2024 member of the year.  As I stated at the January meeting, Suwannee River Water Management District’s water well program works as a team, and I consider my selection to be a recognition of David’s and Kevin’s efforts as well. The agencies that regulate your industry should be visible and accessible, even if it means facing some challenging questions at times.  Accessibility and transparency will always be priorities for myself and the team, and we hope to provide the customer service the Association deserves for years to come. I truly value the relationship that has been built between us, and I’m honored by the recognition. 

Sincerely, Warren Zwanka
Chief Hydrogeologist

Suwannee River Water Management District
 


 



 

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