Key Date(s) - Groundwater Protection and Siting Ordinance Amendment & Resolution

January 13, 2026 - Board Chambers - 5:01pm or shortly thereafter:

• The proposed Ordinance amendment will go before the BOCC for review/acceptance. 
• 1st Resolution hearing for the updated WHPA and SPA maps.  Per ordinance, it must go before the Board twice. 

February 10, 2026  - Board Chambers - Meeting to start at 9:00 am:

• 2nd Resolution hearing for the updated WHPA and SPA maps.

On June 27, 1994, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No.94-8 which is codified as Article VII of Chapter 28 of the Hernando Code of Ordinances, entitled Groundwater Protection and Siting.  On September 28, 2010, the Board adopted Ordinance No. 2010-18, which amended Section 28-266 of the Hernando County Code of Ordinances, entitled Prohibitions within wellhead and special protection areas.  Hydrogeological modeling was completed and adopted by the Board in 1994 to establish well head protection areas (WHPA) and special protection areas (SPA) to ensure the integrity and safety of Hernando County’s drinking water.

The Hernando County Utilities Department (HCUD) hired a hydrogeological firm to upgrade its WHPAs.  The updated model resulted in changes to the sizes and shapes of the WHPAs, as well as possible new restrictions on the types of activity allowed on properties within the new WHPAs.

The ordinance has been amended to address these changes, including updated WHPA and SPA maps, along with updating the groundwater protection criteria for the existing and future potable water resources to ensure the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Hernando County.