The Florida Senate

The encouragement and promotion of water conservation, and reuse of reclaimed water, as defined by the department, are state objectives and are considered to be in the public interest. The Legislature finds that the reuse of reclaimed water is a critical component of meeting the state’s existing and future water supply needs while sustaining natural systems. The Legislature further finds that for those wastewater treatment plants permitted and operated under an approved reuse program by the department, the reclaimed water shall be considered environmentally acceptable and not a threat to public health and safety. The Legislature encourages the development of incentive-based programs for reuse implementation.

All applicants for permits to construct or operate a domestic wastewater treatment facility located within, serving a population located within, or discharging within a water resource caution area shall prepare a reuse feasibility study as part of their application for the permit. Reuse feasibility studies shall be prepared in accordance with department guidelines adopted by rule and shall include, but are not limited to:

The permit applicant shall prepare a plan of study for the reuse feasibility study consistent with the reuse feasibility study guidelines adopted by department rule. The plan of study shall include detailed descriptions of applicable treatment and water supply alternatives to be evaluated and the methods of analysis to be used. The plan of study shall be submitted to the department for review and approval.

The study required under subsection (2) shall be performed by the applicant, and, if the study shows that the reuse is feasible, the applicant must give significant consideration to its implementation if the study complies with the requirements of subsections (2) and (3).

A reuse feasibility study is not required if:

A reuse feasibility study prepared under subsection (2) satisfies a water management district requirement to conduct a reuse feasibility study imposed on a local government or utility that has responsibility for wastewater management. The data included in the study and the conclusions of the study must be given significant consideration by the applicant and the appropriate water management district in an analysis of the economic, environmental, and technical feasibility of providing reclaimed water for reuse under part II of chapter 373 and must be presumed relevant to the determination of feasibility. A water management district may not require a separate study when a reuse feasibility study has been completed under subsection (2).

Local governments may allow the use of reclaimed water for inside activities, including, but not limited to, toilet flushing, fire protection, and decorative water features, as well as for outdoor uses, provided the reclaimed water is from domestic wastewater treatment facilities which are permitted, constructed, and operated in accordance with department rules.

Permits issued by the department for domestic wastewater treatment facilities shall be consistent with requirements for reuse included in applicable consumptive use permits issued by the water management district, if such requirements are consistent with department rules governing reuse of reclaimed water. This subsection applies only to domestic wastewater treatment facilities which are located within, or serve a population located within, or discharge within water resource caution areas and are owned, operated, or controlled by a local government or utility which has responsibility for water supply and wastewater management.

Local governments may and are encouraged to implement programs for the reuse of reclaimed water. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or preempt such local reuse programs.

A local government that implements a reuse program under this section shall be allowed to allocate the costs in a reasonable manner.

Pursuant to chapter 367, the Florida Public Service Commission shall allow entities under its jurisdiction which conduct studies or implement reuse projects, including, but not limited to, any study required by subsection (2) or facilities used for reliability purposes for a reclaimed water reuse system, to recover the full, prudently incurred cost of such studies and facilities through their rate structure.

In issuing consumptive use permits, the permitting agency shall consider the local reuse program.

A local government shall require a developer, as a condition for obtaining a development order, to comply with the local reuse program.

After conducting a feasibility study under subsection (2), domestic wastewater treatment facilities that dispose of effluent by Class I deep well injection, as defined in 40 C.F.R. part 144.6(a), must implement reuse to the degree that reuse is feasible, based upon the applicant’s reuse feasibility study. Applicable permits issued by the department shall be consistent with the requirements of this subsection.

After conducting a feasibility study under subsection (2), domestic wastewater treatment facilities that dispose of effluent by surface water discharges or by land application methods must implement reuse to the degree that reuse is feasible, based upon the applicant’s reuse feasibility study. This subsection does not apply to surface water discharges or land application systems which are currently categorized as reuse under department rules. Applicable permits issued by the department shall be consistent with the requirements of this subsection.

Utilities implementing reuse projects are encouraged, except in the case of use by electric utilities as defined in s. 366.02(2), to meter use of reclaimed water by all end users and to charge for the use of reclaimed water based on the actual volume used when such metering and charges can be shown to encourage water conservation. Metering and the use of volume-based rates are effective water management tools for the following reuse activities: residential irrigation, agricultural irrigation, industrial uses, landscape irrigation, irrigation of other public access areas, commercial and institutional uses such as toilet flushing, and transfers to other reclaimed water utilities. Beginning with the submittal due on January 1, 2005, each domestic wastewater utility that provides reclaimed water for the reuse activities listed in this section shall include a summary of its metering and rate structure as part of its annual reuse report to the department.