Subject to appropriation, a grant program for the Central Florida Water Initiative is established within the Department of Environmental Protection.
(1) The department, in cooperation with the relevant water management districts, shall provide grants for projects that benefit the Central Florida Water Initiative Area and that promote alternative water supplies and protect groundwater resources.
(2) In allocating such funds, priority must be given to projects that use reclaimed water, create new surface water storage, enhance natural systems, recharge groundwater, optimize beneficial uses of water, expand water conservation programs, or are able to demonstrate that a significant financial hardship exists as a result of complying with rules applicable to the Central Florida Water Initiative Area.