Southwest Florida Water Management District

What Southwest Florida Water Management District does

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is a state-government water management district and political subdivision of Florida, established in 1961 under Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, and headquartered in Brooksville, FL. The District manages water resources across all or part of 16 counties and roughly 10,000 square miles, serving approximately 6 million residents of west-central Florida. Its mandate spans water supply management, flood protection (via 18 flood protection structures / 85 flood control and water conservation structures reported across sources), water quality protection, and natural systems preservation across more than 265,000–271,000 acres of conservation lands. Core functions are delivered through the ePermitting online portal (covering environmental resource, water use, and well construction permits), the Data & Maps GIS platform, and program-specific initiatives including the SWUCA Recovery Strategy, FARMS, SWIM, MFLs (covering 41 priority water bodies), ROMP groundwater monitoring, Reclaimed Water, and Florida-Friendly Landscaping education.

The District is governed by a 13-member unpaid Governing Board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, and operated through five divisions (Resource Management, Regulation, Business & IT Services, Employee/Outreach/General Services, and Operations/Lands/Resource Monitoring) with approximately 473 employees distributed across four service offices (Brooksville, Bartow, Sarasota, Tampa). Funding is derived primarily from ad valorem property taxes (capped at 1 mill by the Legislature, levied below the maximum), supplemented by intergovernmental state and federal sources. The organization does not charge for most core services; permit fees may apply. Services are delivered directly to the public via service offices, the ePermitting portal, recreation sites on District conservation lands, and outreach programs including a Speakers Bureau, WaterMatters Blog, and social media channels across Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Nextdoor. Key strategic partners include NRCS, FDACS, Tampa Bay Water, UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center, and local governments across the 16-county region via the cooperative funding initiative.

Name

Southwest Florida Water Management District

Legal name

Southwest Florida Water Management District

Website

https://watermatters.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is a Florida state-government agency managing water resources, flood protection, water quality, and natural systems across 16 counties and roughly 10,000 square miles, serving approximately 6 million residents of west-central Florida via permitting, monitoring, and conservation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Water Resource Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Water resource management
• Flood protection services
• Water use permitting
• Watershed management planning
• Environmental resource permitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooksville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ad Valorem Property Taxes: Primary funding source from property taxes collected within the District boundaries. While the Legislature allows a tax levy up to 1 mill, the actual tax levy has been less than the maximum.
2. Intergovernmental Sources: Additional funding from state and federal government sources

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is a Florida state government agency that manages water resources across approximately 10,000 square miles and 16 counties in west-central Florida. Its core services include issuing water use, environmental resource, and well construction permits; operating flood protection structures; implementing regional water supply planning, aquifer recharge, and Minimum Flows and Levels regulation; managing water quality monitoring and surface water improvement; maintaining over 265,000 acres of conservation lands for public recreation; and providing cooperative funding to local governments and agricultural operations.

Product overview

The Southwest Florida Water Management District operates as a government agency managing water resources for west-central Florida. The District offers a unified portfolio of core services centered on water resource management, flood protection, and environmental protection. The primary digital service is the ePermitting system, a web-based portal for submitting environmental resource, water use, and well construction permit applications. Supporting services include Data & Maps (GIS) for geographic information access, the FARMS agricultural water program, SWIM surface water improvement, Watershed Management, Minimum Flows and Levels regulation, and Reclaimed Water programs. The District also provides public recreation on approximately 265,000 acres of conservation lands and educational outreach through the Speakers Bureau. These programs work together under the District's mission to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public's water needs are met.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ePermitting Web-based permitting system that allows applicants to submit and manage applications for environmental resource permits, water use permits, and well construction permits. Used by property owners, developers, agricultural operators, and other permit applicants in the 16-county region.
• Data & Maps (GIS) Interactive mapping and GIS resource providing public access to District data, hydrological information, watershed boundaries, flood zones, and regulatory service area maps. Used by residents, researchers, consultants, and local governments.
• FARMS (Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems) Agricultural water resource program offering cost-share assistance to the agricultural community for conservation, water quality, natural systems, and alternative water supply best management practices. Targeted at farmers, ranchers, and agricultural operators within the District.
• Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA) Recovery Program Multi-decade regional water supply planning and recovery strategy addressing aquifer level declines through conservation, alternative water supply development, and resource monitoring across approximately 5,100 square miles. Used by water utilities, local governments, and agricultural operations in the southern portion of the District.
• SWIM (Surface Water Improvement and Management) Program supporting hydrologic restoration projects and water quality improvement initiatives for surface water resources throughout the District. Used by local governments and community stakeholders undertaking surface water restoration.
• Watershed Management Program Program providing watershed and flood information, flood protection data, and watershed management planning across the District's 16-county service area. Used by local governments, engineers, and floodplain managers for flood protection and watershed planning.
• Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) Regulatory program establishing limits at which further water withdrawals would significantly harm water resources or ecology, with MFLs established for 41 priority water bodies in the SWUCA. Used to regulate water users, water utilities, and local governments.
• Regional Observation and Monitor-Well Program (ROMP) Groundwater monitoring program providing data on aquifer conditions, water levels, and hydrological trends throughout the District. Used by District staff, researchers, consultants, and the public for water resource analysis.
• Reclaimed Water Program Program supporting the use of reclaimed water as an alternative water supply to reduce reliance on traditional groundwater sources. Used by utilities, local governments, and large water users seeking alternative supply.
• Recreation on District Lands Public outdoor recreation on approximately 265,000 acres of District conservation lands, including hiking, bicycling, hunting, horseback riding, fishing, paddling, camping, and nature study. Available to the general public at no charge.
• Water Restrictions Program Regulatory program implementing water use restrictions, including Phase III one-day-per-week watering restrictions, to manage water resources during drought conditions. Applies to all residents and water users in the District.
• Cooperative Funding Initiative Cooperative funding and technical assistance program for county and municipal governments within the District's 16-county service area, supporting water conservation, alternative water supply development, and flood protection projects.
• Florida-Friendly Landscaping Education program promoting water-conserving landscaping practices to reduce outdoor water use through efficient irrigation and drought-tolerant plants. Targeted at residents and property owners.
• Speakers Bureau Free educational presentation service in which District professional staff share knowledge on water conservation, District overview, water resources planning, and outdoor recreation with community groups and organizations.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Plant Diagnostic Center to test for Phytophthora (a plant mold) in surface water at the Flatford Swamp project site. Testing confirmed no presence of the organism, and testing continued twice yearly for approximately four years.
• National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with NRCS on agricultural-related activities, including the Agricultural Ground and Surface Water Management (AGSWM) program that assists farmers with conservation farming plans.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with FDACS on agricultural-related activities and water resource management programs including the FARMS program and agricultural permitting.
• Tampa Bay WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTampa Bay Water is Florida's largest wholesale water supplier. The District works with Tampa Bay Water on water supply planning and projects, with the Assistant Executive Director having previously worked there for 18 years.
• Local Governments in 16-County RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative Funding Initiative provides cost-share funding and technical expertise to local governments for water conservation, alternative water supply development, and flood protection programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Texas Water Development Board: State-level water planning and financing agency that performs water supply planning, flood mitigation financing, and data programs analogous to SWFWMD's resource management and cooperative funding functions. A peer in mandate, but operating in a different geography.
• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District: Regional wastewater and water reuse agency serving the Sacramento area. Comparable as a regional government utility focused on water/wastewater infrastructure and water reuse, although it does not perform the same permitting or conservation mandate as SWFWMD.

Direct peers

• South Florida Water Management District: The largest Florida water management district, covering the southern peninsula including the Everglades. Shares the same statutory framework under Chapter 373, F.S., and operates the same core service portfolio (water supply, flood control, ERP/WUP permitting, MFLs, conservation lands) as SWFWMD.
• Suwannee River Water Management District: Another Florida regional water management district covering the Suwannee River basin. Operates the same permitting, water supply, and flood protection programs under the same Chapter 373 framework, making it a structurally identical peer at smaller scale.
• Northwest Florida Water Management District: Florida's panhandle water management district. Operates the same statutory functions (water use permitting, ERP, flood protection, conservation lands) under the same Chapter 373 framework, making it a directly comparable peer at smaller geographic scale.
• St. Johns River Water Management District: One of Florida's five regional water management districts, with overlapping mandate over water supply, flood protection, water quality, permitting, and conservation lands in northeast and east-central Florida. The District recently hired a General Services Bureau Chief (Dave Dickens) directly from St. Johns River WMD, evidencing close operational comparability.

Emerging players

• Tampa Bay Water: Florida's largest wholesale water supplier and a core SWFWMD partner. Operates regional water supply infrastructure (including alternative supply projects) that intersects directly with SWFWMD's water supply planning and FARMS activities, and shares leadership overlap with SWFWMD's Assistant Executive Director.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Jacksonville District): Federal agency that partners with SWFWMD on flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects across Florida. Operates the federal flood control infrastructure portfolio and Herbert Hoover Dike, comparable to SWFWMD's flood control and conservation lands mandate at a larger jurisdictional scale.
• California Department of Water Resources: Larger, state-level water resource agency responsible for statewide water supply, flood management, and infrastructure (including the State Water Project). Comparable in core functions (water supply planning, flood protection, conservation) but at much larger scale and broader geographic scope than SWFWMD.
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection: State-level environmental regulator that oversees Florida's five water management districts and broader environmental quality programs. Directly comparable because it administers the overarching policy framework (delegated programs, water resource protection, conservation) within which SWFWMD operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swfwmd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WaterMattersTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaterMatters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swfwmd
• Instagraminstagram.com/swfwmd
• Pinterestpinterest.com/SWFWMD

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles29 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southwest Florida Water Management District