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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to water management; providing legislative

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intent; directing the Secretary of Environmental

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Protection to coordinate with the water management

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districts to conduct a study of certain desalination

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technologies; providing study requirements; requiring the

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secretary to report to the Governor and the Legislature by

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a specified date; creating the Reclaimed Water

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Coordination Task Force; providing legislative findings;

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providing purposes; requiring that the task force review

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certain rules, programs, and policies when preparing its

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recommendations; providing for membership of the task

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force; requiring that members be appointed on or before a

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specified date; providing for administrative support for

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the task force; providing duties of the task force;

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requiring that the Department of Environmental Protection

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and each water management district encourage the use of

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pilot projects for certain purposes; providing an

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effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1. (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--The Legislature finds

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that desalination of seawater is a proven technology for

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providing water supply solutions for countries around the world

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and an increasingly cost-competitive alternative for coastal

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cities within the United States. The potential success of

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desalination projects would benefit the communities they directly

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serve and the state as a whole by preserving existing natural

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water resources and providing a practical means of ensuring

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adequate supplies of water for future generations of Floridians.

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Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to aggressively

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pursue desalination technologies for use in the state.

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     (2) DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY STUDY; REPORT.--The Secretary

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of Environmental Protection is directed to coordinate with the

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water management districts to conduct a study examining all

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current and available desalination technologies. The study shall

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include an analysis of the existing desalination projects in the

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state and recommendations for a plan to effectively utilize and

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implement desalination technologies that are environmentally and

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fiscally sound and that will provide sustainability of the

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current water supply demands of the state as well as long-term

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potable water supply demands based on projected population

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growth. The secretary shall submit a report of the findings of

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the study and plan recommendations to the Governor, the President

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of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

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June 30, 2009.

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     Section 2. The Legislature finds that encouragement and

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promotion of reuse of reclaimed water, as defined by the

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Department of Environmental Protection, are state objectives and

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serve the public interest. The Legislature finds that the

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implementation of this policy has been hampered by a lack of

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clear understanding as to the role of local governments producing

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and distributing reclaimed water and water management districts

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as to the regulation of the use of reclaimed water. The

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Legislature further finds that the Department of Environmental

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Protection and water management districts do not have a common

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policy regarding reclaimed water as applied to processes related

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to water-use permitting and water shortage. The Legislature also

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finds that a clear and consistent policy regarding the use of

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reclaimed water is required to achieve the most efficient and

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beneficial use of this resource.

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     (1) The Reclaimed Water Coordination Task Force is created

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for the purposes of recommending clear direction as to the

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relative roles of local governments and water management

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districts with regard to the regulation of the use of reclaimed

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water and proposing a statewide uniform approach to consideration

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of use of reclaimed water as applied to processes related to

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water-use permitting and water shortages. When preparing its

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recommendations, the task force shall review the rules, programs,

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and policies of the five water management districts in this state

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as such rules, programs, and policies relate to considerations

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involving the use of reclaimed water with respect to water-use

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permitting, water shortages, and related actions, activities, or

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programs.

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     (2) The task force shall consist of the following members:

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     (a) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

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House of Representatives shall each appoint one member from their

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respective chambers, who shall co-chair the task force.

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     (b) The Secretary of Environmental Protection or designee.

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     (c) The Commissioner of Agriculture, or his or her

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designee.

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(d) The executive director of the South Florida Water

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Management District, or his or her designee.

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     (e) The executive director of the Southwest Florida Water

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Management District, or his or her designee.

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     (f) The executive director of the St. Johns River Water

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Management District, or his or her designee.

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     (g) The executive director of the Suwannee River Water

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Management District, or his or her designee.

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     (h) The executive director of the Northwest Florida Water

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Management District, or his or her designee.

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     (i) The executive director of the Florida Nursery Growers

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and Landscape Association, or his or her designee.

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     (j) The executive director of the Florida Sugar Cane

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League, or his or her designee.

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     (k) In addition to the appointments in paragraph (a), the

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President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives shall each appoint:

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     1. Three members who are employees of a local government

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producing reclaimed water for reuse by the public.

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     2. A representative of a not-for-profit environmental

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advocacy organization.

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     3. A representative from a company that is a self-supplier

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of water.

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     (3) Members of the task force shall be appointed on or

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before August 1, 2008.

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     (4) The clerical and professional staff of the Department

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of Environmental Protection shall provide administrative support

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to the task force. The task force may request support from the

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clerical and professional staff of the standing committees of the

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Senate and the House of Representatives.

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     (5) The task force shall:

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     (a) Determine the role of the use of reclaimed water as

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applied to processes related to water-use permitting and water

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shortage.

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     (b) Assess the appropriate roles of local governments and

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water management districts in regulating the use of reclaimed

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water.

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     (c) Consider how the use of reclaimed water could be

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promoted in areas in which new or increased water withdrawals

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have been limited by law through the use of offsets or other

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similar incentives.

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     (d) Evaluate the most effective means of supplementing

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reclaimed water supplies during peak demands in order to improve

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reliability and promote widespread adoption of reclaimed water.

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     (e) Consider the most effective means of incorporating any

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recommended statewide policy changes.

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     (6) The Department of Environmental Protection and each

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water management district shall encourage the use of pilot

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projects for the purpose of obtaining data and operating

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experience regarding various types of reuse and irrigation

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systems.

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     (7) The task force shall submit a report to the Governor,

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the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives summarizing its findings and recommendations on

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or before January 31, 2009.

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     (8) The Department of Environmental Protection and the

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water management districts are directed, and all other agencies

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and local governments are requested, to render assistance to and

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cooperate with the task force.

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     (9) The task force shall dissolve on January 31, 2009.

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     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.