Draft permit for exploratory well construction at JEA Northwest Water Reclamation Facility.

Miscellaneous Public Notices
State of Florida
Department of Environmental Protection
NOTICE OF DRAFT PERMIT
The Department of Environmental Protection hereby provides notice that it has prepared a draft permit for the proposed project as detailed in the application, subject to the conditions specified in the draft permit and summarized below. The applicant, JEA, Lindsay Starner, Director of Environmental Policy and Regulation, 225 N. Pearl Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32202 applied on June 26, 2025, for a Class V exploratory well construction permit. The project is located at JEA Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, 0 Goldstar Families Parkway, Jacksonville, Florida, 32218, in Duval County (File 0462175-001-002-UC/5EX, WACS ID 108939).
The permittee will drill and construct two non-hazardous Class V Group 9 Exploratory injection wells (NWEW-1 and NWEW-2) for the purpose of evaluating the geology and hydrogeology beneath this facility for the feasibility of conversion to a Class I injection well for the disposal of reclaimed domestic wastewater treated to advanced water treatment standards from the new, unconstructed Northwest Water Reclamation Facility. The injection zone groundwater classification will be determined during the injection zone testing. The exploratory wells may not be used for injection under this permit except for a short-term injection test to evaluate the capacity of the potential injection zone.  A maximum injection rate and maximum injection volume will be established under a separate construction permit if NWEW-1 and NWEW-2 are converted to injection wells. Exploratory injection wells NWEW-1 and NWEW-2 are to be drilled with a pilot hole to approximately 3,000 feet below land surface (bls) to define the Floridan aquifer system with a 20-inch casing set at approximately 1,875 feet bls.  Two monitor wells are proposed to be constructed in the Floridan aquifer; shallow monitoring wells (NWSMW-1 and NWSMW-2) are proposed to be constructed to monitor the depth interval of approximately 1,550 to 1,600 feet bls. A third monitor well is proposed to be constructed in the Fernandina Permeable Zone (FPZMW-1) to monitor the depth interval of approximately 1,875 to 1,925 feet bls.
The Department has permitting jurisdiction under Chapter 403 of the Florida Statutes and the rules adopted thereunder. The project is not exempt from permitting procedures. The Department has determined that an Underground Injection Control permit is required for the proposed work.
Any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit and may request a public meeting within 30 days after publication of this public notice. A request for a public meeting shall be submitted in writing and shall state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the meeting. If a public meeting is later scheduled, there will be another 30-day notice period for that meeting. Written comments or a public meeting request shall be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Protection Program, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3530, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, which is the office processing this permit application. All comments received within the 30-day period will be considered in formulation of the Departments final decision regarding permit issuance.
The files associated with this order are available for public inspection during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays, at the Department of Environmental Protection, Northeast District, and at the Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Protection Program office in Tallahassee. Any additional information concerning this project may be obtained by contacting Jeremy Hart, Professional Geologist II, at 850-245-8657. 
Mar. 12	(26-01406D)