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CS/SB 64 — Reclaimed Water
by Environment and Natural Resources Committee and Senator Albritton
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Environment and Natural Resources Committee (EN)
The bill requires domestic wastewater utilities that dispose of effluent, reclaimed water, or reuse water by surface water discharge to:
- Submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to eliminate nonbeneficial surface water discharges by November 1, 2021;
- Fully implement the plan to eliminate discharges by January 1, 2032; and
- If no plan is timely submitted or approved, eliminate discharges by January 1, 2028.
The bill requires DEP to submit a report to the Legislature by December 31, 2021, and annually thereafter, providing the average gallons per day that discharges are reduced, the average gallons per day of discharges that will continue, the level of treatment discharged water receives, and any modified or new plans submitted by a utility since the last report.
The bill does not apply to domestic wastewater treatment facilities in certain areas with limited fiscal resources and those operated by certain mobile home park operators.
The bill authorizes discharges that are being beneficially used or otherwise regulated, including:
- Discharges associated with an indirect potable reuse project;
- Permitted wet weather discharge;
- Discharges into a stormwater management system, which are subsequently withdrawn for irrigation purposes;
- Utilities that operate domestic wastewater treatment facilities with reuse systems that reuse at least 90 percent of a facility’s annual average flow; or
- Discharges that provide direct ecological or public water supply benefits.
The bill also:
- Specifies that potable reuse is an alternative water supply, for purposes of making reuse projects eligible for alternative water supply funding;
- Incentivizes the development of potable reuse projects;
- Incentivizes residential developments that use graywater technologies; and
- Specifies the total dissolved solids allowable in aquifer storage and recovery in certain circumstances.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect upon becoming law.
Vote: Senate 32-0; House 118-0