Florida Water Geek

Florida Senate Bill 64 and You What is Senate Bill 64? Florida Senate Bill 64 (SB64) was passed in 2021, and relates to reclaimed water. This law basically requires wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) or water reclamation facilities (WRFs) to eliminate "nonbeneficial surface water discharges." Most WTPs and WRFs currently discharge at least some of their effluent to surface waters - rivers and lakes. (About two-thirds of all combined discharges are non-beneficial).  While this treated effluent may not be "beneficial," it must meet antidegradation law. The effluent discharged cannot degrade the water quality of the receiving stream. Samples are collected upstream and downstream regularly to ensure no degradation occurs.  In addition WRFs must meet strict permit limits on removal of contaminants. SB64 will require these discharges from WRFs to be eliminated by January 1, 2032. The way to eliminate a surface water discharge is to either inject the effluent deep into t...

  A Celebration and Reminder of Water's Importance This past week - May 17 - 23, 2026 was Water Reuse Week in Florida . This is an annual celebration in Florida, supported by our five Water Management Districts. Many local governments and communities sign declarations and host educational events for kids and adults. The idea is to appreciate and protect our precious water resources. While Florida may seem to have plenty of water, only a small percentage is fresh water suitable for drinking. The recent drought has made this even more apparent as many in the state are under a severe water shortage with restrictions. That's why the reuse of reclaimed water  becomes more important every day.  JEA H2.O Purification Center As part of Water Reuse Week, the Florida Water Reuse Summit was held at JEA's H2.O Purification Center in Jacksonville, Florida.  (JEA is a large utility in northeast Florida). This impressive facility will take highly treated reclaimed water and furthe...

 Potable reuse has been in the news lately. Daytona Beach may possibly ban potable reuse. But this would be a mistake, in my opinion. In 2021, Senate Bill 64 was passed, which will basically be forcing wastewater treatment and water reclamation facilities to stop discharging treated effluent to surface waters. This means these facilities will need to find more ways to reuse water.  So, let's explain what potable reuse means and why it should be either celebrated or banned. Reuse of reclaimed water is pretty mainstream here in Florida. Many people irrigate their lawns with it. It's widely used at golf courses, as well as many other uses. But, what does potable reuse mean?  What is Potable Water? Potable water is water that is safe for drinking.  The definition from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is: " water that meets the primary and secondary drinking water quality standards prescribed by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (4...