South Florida Water Management District
Client Info
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern half of the state, covering 16 counties from Orlando to the Florida Keys and serving 8.1 million residents. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s water management districts.
Created in 1949, the agency is responsible for managing and protecting the water resources of South Florida by balancing and improving water supply, water quality, and natural systems.
Their hard-coded pages were difficult to update, and they required a more robust content management system that could handle large amounts of information while being easy for non-technical staff to use.
Industry
Top challenge
Top solution
What We Did
We created a modern, accessible Drupal 8 website with a phased development approach. Instead of relying on custom code, we used proven Drupal modules and Acquia Lightning to create an efficient, maintainable platform that makes content updates simple.
Easy Content Management
Content editors can now easily update information without touching code. The new system includes workflow approvals, scheduled publishing, and simple tools for embedding media—making it easy for staff to keep information current.
Better Search and Performance
We implemented Apache Solr Search to handle the vast amount of content, including documents and PDFs. Combined with Acquia Cloud hosting, the site delivers fast, relevant results even under heavy traffic.
Improved Accessibility
The site now meets Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA compliance standards, making it accessible to all users. We saw a 40% increase in usability for people using assistive technologies, ensuring everyone can access critical water management information.
The Result
The new site successfully handles the district's large content needs while being significantly easier to maintain. Both staff and residents benefit from faster performance, better search capabilities, and improved navigation to frequently accessed features like permits and water data.
Platform Development
- Drupal 8 implementation
- Acquia Lightning setup
- Performance optimization
Content Management
- Editorial workflows
- Media handling tools
- Scheduled publishing
Search & Analytics
- Apache Solr integration
- Google Analytics setup
- Real-time data display
Accessibility & Testing
- Section 508 compliance
- WCAG 2.0 AA standards
- Ongoing testing support
Let’s start your project
Need to handle complex content? Let's explore how we can help you build a website that makes managing large amounts of information easier while improving access for your entire community.
