Summary of Florida's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Environmental Restoration

This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.

On this page:

• Technical basis
• Water reuse for environmental restoration approved for use in Florida
• Water reuse treatment category for environmental restoration
• Additional context and definitions
• Water reuse for environmental restoration specifications (table)
• Upcoming state law or policy
• References
• Disclaimer

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This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information. 

In Florida, water reused for environmental restoration environmental restorationThe use of recycled water to create, sustain, or augment water bodies including wetlands, aquatic habitats, or stream flow. Includes groundwater or aquifer recharge for protection from saltwater intrusion , stream flow augmentation and wildlife habitat, and source water protection. include wetlands, groundwater recharge and salinity barrier systems, each with their own specific limitations. The source of water (treated municipal wastewater) treated municipal wastewater Treated wastewater effluent discharged from a centralized wastewater treatment plant of any size. Other terms referring to this source of water include domestic wastewater, treated wastewater effluent, reclaimed water, and treated sewage. is specified by the state as domestic wastewater. The write-up below uses state terms when discussing sources or uses of water that may differ from the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer's (REUSExplorer's) terms.

Technical basis

Florida approves the use of reclaimed wastewater for non-potable environmental restoration including discharges to wetlands, if not directly connected to groundwater; groundwater recharge and as a salinity barrier. All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met in addition to any state water quality standards. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators for environmental restoration-related applications and are summarized in the table. The technical basis for developing the specifications of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified. However, Florida notes they use filtration because it “serves to increase the ability of the disinfection process to inactivate virus and other pathogens. Filtration also serves as the primary barrier for removal of protozoan pathogens (Cryptosporidium, Giardia and others). Addition of chemical coagulants generally increases the effectiveness of pathogen removal” (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610).

Water reuse for environmental restoration approved for use in Florida

• Wetlands application unless the wetlands are: 
  • Within Outstanding Florida Waters (as listed in Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-302.700),
  • Within Class I (potable water supplies), or Class II (shellfish propagation or harvesting) waters (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-302.400),
  • Within areas designated as areas of critical state concern as of October 1, 1985, or 
  • The wetland is an herbaceous wetland and the herbaceous groundcover of the entire wetland is composed of less than 50% Typha spp. (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-611.110).
• Groundwater recharge intended to augment Class F-I, G-I, or G-II groundwaters 
  • Approved application methods include injection, rapid-rate land application and discharge to surface waters which are directly connected to the classes of groundwater listed above.
• Salinity barrier systems:
  • Reclaimed water may be used as part of a salinity barrier system to create freshwater barriers to impede landward or upward migration of salt water into Class F-I, G-I, or G-II groundwaters, provided that the receiving groundwater within 1,000 feet of the salinity barrier injection well is not currently used as a source of public water supply and that the receiving groundwater within this area is not reasonably expected to be used for public water supply in the future.
  • Systems involving injection to Class G-II groundwater containing 1,000 to 3,000 mg/L of total dissolved solids. These systems are intended for areas that the receiving groundwater, within 1,000 feet of the salinity barrier injection well, is not currently used as a source of public water supply and that the receiving groundwater within this area is not reasonably expected to be used for public water supply in the future. Also, a setback distance of 1,000 feet is to be maintained from the injection well to potable water supply wells (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610.562).

Water reuse treatment category for environmental restoration

The respective treatment requirements are briefly summarized for environmental restoration-related reuse applications (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610).

• Water discharged to a wetland must receive, at a minimum, secondary treatment with nitrification.
• For discharge of reclaimed water to surface water directly connected to Class F-I, G-I, or G-II groundwaters, principal treatment and basic disinfection are required.
• For groundwater recharge using “Rapid-rate Land Application Systems,” at a minimum, secondary treatment and basic disinfection are required.
• For groundwater recharge using “injection systems,” at a minimum, secondary treatment with filtration and high-level disinfection are required. The reclaimed water does not have to comply with the secondary drinking water standards before injection (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610).
• For salinity barrier systems using “Rapid-rate Land Application Systems,” at a minimum, secondary treatment and basic disinfection are required. 
• For salinity barrier systems using “injection systems,” at a minimum, secondary treatment with filtration and high-level disinfection are required.

Treatment facilities that provide “basic disinfection” must meet the following criteria using either membrane filtration or equivalent most probable number (MPN) methods for fecal coliform detection and enumeration (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-600.440): 

• The arithmetic mean of the monthly geometric mean values collected during an annual period and the geometric mean for a minimum of 10 samples (each collected on a separate day during a period of 30 consecutive days [monthly]) should not exceed 200 fecal coliform values/100 mL of reclaimed water or effluent sample. 
• No more than 10% of the samples collected during a period of 30 consecutive days shall exceed 400 fecal coliform values/100 mL of reclaimed water or effluent sample. 
• Any one sample should not exceed 800 fecal coliform values/100 mL of reclaimed water or effluent sample. 
• When chlorine is used for disinfection, a total chlorine residual of ≥0.5 mg/L should be maintained after at least 15 minutes contact time at the peak hourly flow. Rapid and uniform mixing are required.

Treatment facilities that provide “high-level disinfection” must meet the following criteria using either membrane filtration or equivalent MPN methods (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-600):

• Over a 30-day period (monthly), 75% of the fecal coliform values shall be below the detection limits.
• Single sample maximum of 25 fecal coliform values/100 mL of reclaimed water or effluent sample.
• Single sample maximum of 5 mg/L of total suspended solids at a point before application of the disinfectant.
• When chlorine is used for disinfection, a total chlorine residual of ≥ 1.0 mg/L shall be maintained at all times. The minimum acceptable contact time is 15 minutes at the peak hourly flow. Rapid and uniform mixing are required. At new or expanded treatment facilities, the contact time at peak hourly flow should be ≥25 minutes if ≤1,000 fecal coliform values/100 mL are present in samples, ≥40 minutes if 1,000–10,000 fecal coliform values/100 mL are present in samples and ≥120 minutes if ≥10,000 fecal coliform values/100 mL are present in samples.

Additional context and definitions

Florida defines reclaimed water as “water that has received at least secondary treatment and basic disinfection and is reused after flowing out of a domestic wastewater treatment facility” and, as such, requirements for overland flow systems are designated as effluent (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-600).

“Outstanding Florida Water” is defined as a water designated worthy of special protection because of its natural attributes by the Environmental Regulation Commission (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-302). This special designation is applied to certain waters and is intended to protect existing good water quality.

Class F-I water is groundwater designated for potable water use in a “single source” aquifer, implying that the aquifer is the only reasonably available source of potable water to a significant segment of the population. To receive F-1 designated use, the groundwater should have a total dissolved solids content of less than 3,000 mg/L. Surficial aquifers (i.e., shallow aquifers that are close to the surface) are designated as F-I water (Olexa et al., 2021).

Class G-I water is groundwater designated to potable water use. This category is also groundwater in a “single source” aquifer. To receive G-I designated use, groundwater should have a total dissolved solids content of less than 3,000 mg/L (Olexa et al., 2021).

Class G-II water is groundwater designated for potable use. For this category, total dissolved solids content should be up to 10,000 mg/L (Olexa et al., 2021).

A wetland which may recharge an underlying aquifer through percolation downward through unconsolidated material is not considered as being directly connected to groundwater in the State of Florida.

For all rapid-rate land application systems, appropriate advisory signs shall be posted around the site boundaries to designate the nature of the project area. Fencing around the entire site boundary is not required (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610). The permittee may allow public access to absorption field sites (Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610).

Water reuse  for environmental restoration specifications

Summary of Florida's Water Reuse for Environmental Restoration Specifications

Source= Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610, 62-600, 62-611

* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.

^a For purpose of compliance with groundwater quality secondary standards, as referenced in Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-520, levels of ethylbenzene exceeding 30 micrograms per liter, toluene exceeding 40 micrograms per liter, or xylenes exceeding 20 micrograms per liter shall be considered equivalent to exceeding the drinking water secondary standard for odor.

^b For systems where chlorine is used for disinfection.

Upcoming state law or policy

No upcoming reuse regulations related to environmental restoration were found for Florida.

References

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-610. Reuse of Reclaimed Water and Land Application.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-600. Domestic Wastewater Facilities.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-611. Wetlands Application.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-302. Surface Water Quality Standards.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-520. Ground Water Classes, Standards, and Exemptions.

Fla. Admin. Code r. 62-550. Drinking Water Standards, Monitoring, and Reporting

Olexa, M.T., Borisova, T., Caracciolo, J. 2021. 2021 Handbook of Florida Water Regulation: State Groundwater Discharge Regulations. University of Florida: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.

Reuse of Reclaimed Water, § 403-064, Fla. Stat. (2021).

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Disclaimers

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