Florida Senate - 2025 SB 978
By Senator Berman
26-00769-25 2025978__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to advanced wastewater treatment;
3 providing legislative findings; requiring the
4 Department of Environmental Protection, in
5 consultation with the water management districts and
6 sewage disposal facilities, to submit to the Governor
7 and Legislature specified reports on certain sewage
8 disposal facilities in the state; providing an
9 effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. (1) The Legislature finds that the discharge of
14 inadequately treated wastewater and aging sewage disposal
15 facilities compromise the quality of the environment, including
16 freshwater, brackish water, and nearshore and offshore salt
17 waters, and threatens the quality of life and local economies in
18 the state that depend on those resources. The Legislature also
19 finds that the only practical and cost-effective way to
20 fundamentally improve wastewater management is to require
21 advanced wastewater treatment or better at all sewage disposal
22 facilities with a permitted capacity of greater than 1 million
23 gallons per day in the state.
24 (2) In order to prioritize the upgrade of sewage disposal
25 facilities, by December 31, 2025, the Department of
26 Environmental Protection, in consultation with the water
27 management districts and wastewater facilities, shall submit to
28 the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of
29 the House of Representatives a report detailing all of the
30 following for all sewage disposal facilities with a permitted
31 capacity of greater than 1 million gallons per day in the state:
32 (a) Year of construction for the facility and any
33 maintenance or upgrades.
34 (b) Total permitted volume of wastewater treated daily.
35 (c) Actual permitted volume of wastewater treated daily
36 including the most recent 1-year and 5-year averages.
37 (d) Current level of treatment, including concentrations
38 for each of the following:
39 1. Biochemical oxygen demand.
40 2. Suspended solids.
41 3. Total nitrogen.
42 4. Total phosphorus.
43 5. 1,4-dioxane.
44 6. Perfluorooctanoic acid.
45 7. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid.
46 8. Molybdenum.
47 9. Other contaminants of emerging concern as determined by
48 the department.
49 (e) Estimated total pollutant load based on permitted
50 volume and concentrations.
51 (f) Disposal methods and the volume discharged to any
52 receiving waterbodies, if applicable, pursuant to s.
53 403.064(17), Florida Statutes.
54 (g) Impairment status of any receiving waterbodies within
55 the watershed.
56 (h) Implementation status of total maximum daily loads and
57 basin management action plans and recommended reductions for
58 load allocations and wasteload allocations for pollutants of
59 concern.
60 (i) Total volume and concentration of any permitted and
61 nonpermitted wastewater spills since 2010.
62 (j) Elevation of the facility and supporting
63 infrastructure.
64 (k) Location within a floodplain, flood zone, or coastal
65 high-hazard area and, if applicable, the corresponding zone
66 number.
67 (3) By December 31, 2026, the department, in consultation
68 with the water management districts and sewage disposal
69 facilities, shall submit to the Governor, the President of the
70 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report
71 outlining a priority ranking process to upgrade all sewage
72 disposal facilities in the state to advanced waste treatment by
73 2036, based on all of the following:
74 (a) Overall environmental benefit of a project based on:
75 1. Water quality in receiving waterbodies, including
76 impairment status;
77 2. Severity and duration of documented algal blooms;
78 3. Loss of submerged vegetation;
79 4. Death of fish and wildlife;
80 5. Public health advisories;
81 6. Quantity and concentration of permitted and nonpermitted
82 spills; and
83 7. Risk of failure.
84 (b) Estimated reduction in nutrient and pollutant loads
85 with advanced waste treatment.
86 (c) An explanation of additional projects necessary to meet
87 any adopted total maximum daily loads and basin management
88 action plans if upgrading to advanced waste treatment is not
89 sufficient.
90 (d) Cost-effectiveness as determined by a planning-level
91 cost estimate.
92 (e) Potential financial assistance available, including the
93 water quality improvement grant program under s. 403.0673,
94 Florida Statutes, and availability of local matching funds.
95 (f) Project readiness and the estimated date of completion.
96 (4) By June 30, 2027, the department, in consultation with
97 the water management districts and sewage disposal facilities,
98 shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
99 the Speaker of the House of Representatives a progress report on
100 the status of upgrades established under subsection (3) for each
101 sewage disposal facility with a permitted capacity of greater
102 than 1 million gallons per day in this state. The report must
103 include a list of the sewage disposal facilities with a
104 permitted capacity of greater than 1 million gallons per day
105 required to upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment, the
106 preliminary cost estimates for the upgrades, a projected
107 timeline of the dates by which the upgrades will begin and be
108 completed, and the date by which operations of the upgraded
109 sewage disposal facility will begin.
110 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.