Silver Springs Alliance

Data Shows Increase of Nitrates as Gainesville Sewer Plant begins hated practice of dumping processed sewer effluent into drinking water aquifer.

Springs Pollution after Gainesville Discharges

Discharging Sewer Effluent to Aquifer shows nitrate algie link.

Nitrates causing increased algae in Silver and Rainbow Springs.

St Johns Water Management and US Gelogic Survey show the increased nitrates levels in Marion County Spring.

The increase of Storm Sewer discharges by Gainesville and the use of the Floridan and Surficial Aquifers as a discharge site is shown in the data chart time line of Nitrates increase.

About 18 years ago, as Kanapaha Sewer Plant began discharging nutrient rich results of Sewer Operations, the Springs down stream from the plant began experiencing Algae growth and higher nitrate levels.

Study the Chart, join in our effort to have Gainesville use the UF Poop Processor resulting effluent above the grown in an Agriculture Setting such as the Perry Cattle Operation.

Adena Cattle Ranch needs nutrient rich water however genetic issues must be resolved before prize cattle are allowed to drink the water. Mean while Team Conservation questions the disposal of sewer effluent into the drinking water aquifer that feeds Silver and Rainbow Springs.

Florida DEP officials take control of DEP policy

Historically even low level DEP employees could hold up a permit indefinitely. Liberal media reporter attempts to make the case that case worker should be able to set DEP rules.

For years it all depended on who processed your permit request as to how you were treated, how rules were interpreted, and what the outcome of the permit request ultimately was. Old DCA officials and the highly political Springs Protection group was the King of the Hill for years. Now after years of work, DEP personal empires of individuals are crumbling.

Wetlands to be expanded by proper use of Florida Water. Connie Bersok reportedly refused to follow new rules to promote long term environmental benefit. Learning about wetlands means more than denying permits DEP employee learns.

Permits for the North Florida Pine Plantation, and the Adena Cattle operation are shaking up old rules about permitting. It used to be that a permit person could make unlimited request just to "badger an applicant". Times have changed. Today the old head of the Springs program was suspended after refusing to follow DEP policy. A new springs group is forming under State Funded HT Odum Springs and they are up to their old anti growth game. Spring Protection .com and Save Silver Springs are now the leading environmental group in Central Florida. It is all in the name. In the past if a name sounds environmental it must be, but names can be deceiving. Often environmental professionals would cover-up pollution point sources like Gainesville's Kanapaha Sewer plant. Why you ask? Because a steady stream of high nitrate sewer effluent will insure algae in the springs and that will guarantee a steady income stream for the environmentalist professionals.

Power and money is the answer to the question, "Why do they let urban utilities pollute. It is cheaper to dump than pipe sewer effluent to proper disposal locations. All that is changing. Now citizens are asking that only clean water be pumped into the Drinking Water Aquifer.

Citizens hope to land the proposed Adana Cattle Operation

It is possible that the Adena farm could use the 10 million gallons of high nitrate that Gainesville Utility dumps daily into our aquifer. It is also possible that we will be able to use about 10% of the Springs flow out to the ocean leaving 100 million gallons to refill the aquifer instead of flowing out to the sea at Jacksonville. 90% of the flow is enough for the Atlantic and the rest must go back into the aquifer to protect lakes, wetlands, rivers and springs by keeping the aquifer full. We have learned from Dr Tom Qwader, noted Geologist, and others who would reverse the problems that are impacting our state and our Lake Weir from improper pumping without an effort to recharge the aquifer.

I read the article you send, and it appears to be a set up by extreme political forces to misrepresent the private sector of society. The Wetlands person in the article has been a supporter of the springs group that now has changed their name to HT Odum Springs Alliance. This group was the Springs Basin group until we successfully stopped their state funding. DEP's Ms Bersok and friends have burned through millions in tax payer dollars promoting bigger government and blaming ordinary people for a few Utility Discharge sources. We have been fighting her policies for years. A nice lady personally, Connie Bersok has been a policy maker unwilling to even consider the point source problems of Silver Springs attraction polluton problems, Kanapaha Sewer Plant dumping, and Gainesville Utilities dumping of 20 permitted point sources into the Alachua Sink. She has been fighting our rebuilding of wetlands for years. The Springs Protection ordinance that blamed us out here on Lake Weir for Silver Springs nitrates was from her DEP and water management group. We at SpringsProtectionWorkingGroup.com have fought her for years bring to her attention the real dumping point sources of pollution in our springs. We need to hear both sides of these stories if we are to be effective in Saving Lake Weir.

Go to BillionGallon.com to see some of the thinking we are supporting to help scientist rebuild our wetlands and surface water bodies. Because they use names like Wetlands Expert, and Springs Protector, a group had gained power to actually polute our springs in order to prove their point that Florida was over populated and people were the problem. Government at its best tries to represent the people and not oppress them. It is incredible how political DEP had become under Connie Bersok leadership. She was not at the top but she was a top policy maker for many years. There is another side to the story to be told by Springs Working Group.com and Save

She has been responsible for the permitting of most of the problems in the Silver and Rainbow Springs Basin.

Kanapaha is ta good example of a primary polluton point that the Gainesville group under Springs Protection permitting defends. Protecting actual pollution of our aquifer and springs has become a way of life for a group of anti economic growth, pro Government Growth forces.

It is important to understand the issues involved in the discharge of Sewer Effluent that Gainesville has been discharging.

Here in Marion County just a short distance from Silver Springs the Ocala Utilities and Marion County Utilities grow grass in spray fields using 1 million gallons of processed sewer effluent daily.

Grass grows and the nitrates are recycled on the surface protecting the ground water.

In Gainesville the sewer plant dumps 10 million gallons of processed sewer effluent that we could be using for the Adena Springs cattle program. Using the high nitrate effluent to grow grass keeps the effluent out of the aquifer. Discharge wells are cased for around 179 feet then the effluent goes directly into the bottom of the Surfacial and upper Floridan aquifers and out at our drinking water wells and springs.

Check out data at the SpringsProtection.com site.

Geo Scientist feel we can rebuild our aquifers using 10% of the springs runoff to the ocean. We have lots of datta on this that I will be glad to present for the good of the cause.

I talked with Connie Bursok in Tallahassee during a meeting with Sec. Mike Sole and brought to her attention the problems with Gainesville Utilities and other discharge offenders. Ms Bersok was the defender of actual pollution points while attempting to blame Save Lake Weir residents for the pollution of Silver Springs. It has been a long hard fight but we are making progress stopping the anti development forces in DEP.

Save Silver Springs.com Springs Protection.com and Fix Storm Water .com join forces to form new Silver Springs Alliance.

Fix Storm Water . Com is a proud Sponsor of Springs Protection.com

Silver Springs Working Group . Com is privately funded, with an A+ rating from Tax Watch Florida.

Central Florida Banking . Com is a proud sponsor of Springs Protection . Com

Team Conservation . Com is a proud sponsor of Srprings Protection. Com