Florida Potable Reuse Commission

Florida Potable Reuse Commission: Ensuring the Future of Reuse in the State

Randy Brown

In the last 30 years, the number of people who have moved to Florida has continued to increase. In 1990, the state’s population was around 13 million, and today, it has grown to over 20 million. The state anticipates another large increase in population (more than 7 million) in the next 35 years.

As the state’s population has grown over the past several decades, so has the demand for fresh water—for drinking, irrigation, agricultural needs, and industrial use. Currently, two thirds of the state has been designated as a water resource caution area by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). These are areas that have critical water supply problems, or could develop problems in the next 20 years.

Potable reuse is an alternative water supply option that’s emerging in various areas around the United States. It may be able to help Florida meet its future water needs by providing resiliency during natural drought cycles.

WateReuse Florida has followed the progress of potable reuse in Arizona and California, which are two of the first areas to use it, very closely. In early 2016, taking into account the current and future water needs of the state, the organization embarked on a process to develop a framework to support and

56 counties are impacted in part or whole by water conservation caution areas.

Creation of the Potable Reuse Commission

We realized that we were not going to make this effort a success without help. We invited the utility councils of the Florida Section American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) and Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) to join us in this project. Taking a page from the Arizona Blue Ribbon Panel on Water Sustainability, the Florida Potable Reuse Commission (PRC) was established in late 2017 as a diverse group of water resource, industry, agricultural, and health professionals. It included representatives from: S WateReuse Florida S FSAWWA S FWEA S Agriculture: Florida Fruit and Vegetable

Association S Florida Department of Health: Bureau

S S of Epidemiology Food and Waterborne Disease Environment: Nature Conservancy of Florida Industry: Associated Industries of Florida Public Health/Medical State University: University of South Florida, College of Public Health

The purpose of PRC is to create a consensus-driven partnership to develop the framework for the implementation of potable reuse in Florida. The creation of this group could not have been accomplished without the guidance and financial assistance of our ex-officio members: Florida’s water management districts and FDEP.

Report Development

The process of developing a framework, and then a report, on potable reuse included numerous one-on-one meetings, 18 PRC regular meetings, three periodic PRC workshops, and presentations to legislative committees. The PRC meetings and workshops were noted in the Florida Administrative Register and the public was encouraged to attend.

Legislative Activities

In support of PRC activities, a provision was included in Senate Bill 712 that directs FDEP to initiate rulemaking based on the recommendations of the PRC 2020 report, “Advancing Potable Reuse in Florida: Framework for the Implementation of Potable Reuse in Florida,” by Dec. 31, 2020. Potable reuse projects will be required to address contaminants of emerging concern and must meet or exceed federal and state drinking water quality standards, as well as other applicable water quality standards. In addition, reclaimed water is deemed, in Florida Statutes, a water source for public water supply systems. The inclusion of potable reuse in the omnibus water bill is a great success for PRC as it allows its Continued on page 6

Continued from page 5 recommendations to be implemented and recognizes the importance of its report.

Due to COVID-19, Senate Bill 712 has not been presented to Gov. Ron DeSantis for action, but we expect that it will be signed into law by him upon presentation.

Florida utilities are conducting pilot plant testing that will provide the data necessary for future FDEP regulations. Potable reuse will extend and protect water resources for our communities to ensure a sustainable water supply for the future, while protecting the environment that makes our state unique. The following is a timeline of meetings and the progress on the path toward developing the report and passing legislation. • May 11, 2016 – Draft of Technical Advisory

Committee (TAC) white paper presented to

WateReuse Florida executive board. • Aug. 25, 2017 – WateReuse Florida executive team presented TAC white paper to the membership in Tavares. • Oct. 4, 2017 – Meeting with Sen. WIlton

Simpson concerning his support for the efforts of the group. • November 2017 – Creation of PRC. • Dec. 4, 2017 – FDEP provided a letter of support for PRC. • Jan. 23, 2018 – Sen. Simpson provided letter of support for PRC. • February 2018 – First PRC Meeting -

WateReuse Association, on behalf of

WateReuse Florida, entered into an agreement with a facilitator for PRC facilitation services. • March 2018 – South Florida Water

Management District (SFWMD), Southwest

Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and St. John’s River Water

Management District (SJRWMD) provided letters of support.

Second PRC Meeting - Set goals and objectives and developed a framework. • April 2018 – First PRC Workshop - General, technical, and management-related topics were discussed and public comments received.

Third PRC Meeting - Reviewed first workshop, set up future meetings, and opened PRC discussion.

Utility councils of WateReuse Florida,

FSAWWA, and FWEA executed an agreement for PRC funding support.

WateReuse Association (on behalf of

WateReuse Florida) entered into an agreement with the Water Research

Thank you to Mark Hammond, PRC facilitator, and Laura Jacobs Donaldson, with Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn, for contributing to this article. Thank you also to Mark Elsner with the South Florida Water Management District for editing.

Randy Brown is utilities director at City of Pompano Beach, past president of WateReuse Florida, and serves on the AWWA

Reuse Committee.

Report Timeline

Foundation for work, including managing three workshops and preparing draft framework document for PRC approval.

Presented a draft of an outreach and education outline. • May 2018 – Fourth PRC Meeting - Reached consensus to create a regulatory team of subject matter experts to meet and draft options and concepts for PRC to consider. • June 2018 – Fifth PRC Meeting - Looked at operator qualifications and certification with

Florida Water Pollution Control Operators

Association (FWPCOA). Discussed log removals and reviewed technical, managerial, and financial considerations. • July 2018 – Sixth PRC Meeting - Focused on discussion of blending versus full direct potable reuse (DPR). Reviewed technology requirements from Texas and California, pretreatment programs, monitoring, and adequacy of potable water standards.

Preparations done for second workshop.

Second PRC Workshop - General, technical, and management-related topics were discussed and public comments received.

Discussion of how to handle unsolicited input. Developed a Florida DPR regulatory guidance document. • August 2018 – Seventh PRC Meeting -

Discussed outreach and communication efforts, including the focus on PRC objectives in the short term. • September 2018 – Eighth PRC Meeting -

Discussion on the chapters of the PRC “One

Document” report outline. Topics, such as publisher, format, and review, were covered. • October 2018 – Ninth PRC Meeting -

Discussed first draft of the framework document and communication efforts to bring on a consultant to assist PRC with outreach. A draft concerning a legislative advocacy concept for PRC consideration was presented. • November 2018 – Tenth PRC Meeting - Indepth discussions of the updated chapters from the draft framework that were distributed. • December 2018 – Eleventh PRC Meeting -

PRC reached consensus that more work was needed to resolve outstanding issues and to work on those issues in 2019. • January 2019 – Twelfth PRC Meeting - PRC supported a process to address outstanding issues, including emerging contaminants and protecting utility investments. The process involved two regulatory subteams, with the addition of subject matter experts, and focused on two topics: addressing emerging contaminants in potable reuse, and protecting utility investments. • February 2019 – PRC regulatory subteams began series of meetings, as often as weekly. • February-May 2019 – PRC Meetings (Thirteen to Sixteen) - PRC discussed and provided guidance to the regulatory subteams regarding emerging contaminants and protecting utility investments • June 2019 – Third PRC Workshop - Updated draft framework document was discussed and public comments received • July 2019 – Seventeenth PRC Meeting - PRC discussed and provided guidance to the regulatory subteams regarding emerging contaminants and protecting utility investments. • August 2019 – PRC regulatory subteams concluded their meetings. • September 2019 – Eighteenth PRC Meeting - PRC approved framework document for final editing. • January 2020 – PRC’s “Framework for the

Implementation of Potable Reuse in Florida” is published. The final document includes the edits incorporated following the Sept. 20, 2019, PRC meeting: cover, executive summary, and preface.