Over the next two decades, Florida’s population is expected to grow by 18% (4.2 million people) to 27.6 million. Due to this growth, total statewide water use is projected to increase by about 755 million gallons per day (mgd), or approximately 11.4%. The expenditures associated with ensuring that future water supplies are available to meet the increase in water demands are projected to be almost $2.4 billion, with a projected state expenditure of nearly $780 million over that same period.

There are approximately 2,000 permitted domestic wastewater facilities regulated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Treated effluent and reclaimed water from these facilities is over 1.5 billion gallons per day (bgd). Approximately 170 facilities, owned and operated by 120 individual utilities, discharge wastewater into Florida’s surface waters, such as rivers, streams, and lakes. 

This discharge can be categorized as either beneficial or non-beneficial. Beneficial discharges include permitted wet weather releases, integration into a reclaimed water system, discharge into a stormwater management system when later used for irrigation, and releases that provide direct ecological or public water supply benefits, such as wetland rehydration, supporting minimum flow and water level requirements, implementing recovery or prevention strategies for water bodies, and potable reuse.

Reuse refers to the intentional use of reclaimed water for a beneficial purpose. Before being repurposed, public access water must undergo at least secondary treatment and high-level disinfection standards. Potable reuse refers to the process of using reclaimed water to directly or indirectly supplement drinking water supplies. Florida is leading the way in establishing potable reuse as an alternative water supply to help meet the state’s growing water demands while safeguarding public health, preserving the environment, and supporting long-term economic sustainability.

In 2021, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 64, relating to reclaimed water. In part to increase the amount of potable water in the state, the bill required domestic wastewater utilities that dispose of effluent, reclaimed water, or reuse water by surface water discharge to submit a plan to FDEP to eliminate non-beneficial surface water discharge and fully implement the plan by January 1, 2032.

To enhance the implementation of SB 64, the Florida Council of 100 recommends:

1. Adopting a more flexible implementation deadline to incentivize potable reuse as an implementation strategy;

2. Specifically promoting aquifer recharge as an implementation strategy;

3. Addressing the disproportionate impact of SB 64 on small producers of non-beneficial discharge; and

4. Reinvesting in a sustained public relations campaign to promote the safety, benefits, and strategic imperative of using potable reuse to cost-effectively augment a rapidly growing Florida’s supply of drinking water.