HB 1533 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to statewide drinking water standards; 2
amending s. 403.851, F.S.; revising the policy of the 3
state regarding safe drinking water; amending s. 4
403.853, F.S.; requiring the Department of 5
Environmental Protection to adopt and implement rules 6
for a statewide maximum contaminant level for 1,4 -7
dioxane; providing requirements for such rules; 8
amending s. 403.8532, F.S.; requiring the department 9
to provide public water systems financial assistance 10
necessary to update system infrastructure to meet 11
certain standards; requiring the department to 12
establish by rule criteria for a public water system 13
to receive such financial assistance; providing an 14
effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. Section 403.851, Florida Statutes, is amended 19
to read: 20
403.851 Declaration of policy; intent. —It is the policy of 21
the state that the residents of this state be protected from 22
harmful toxins in drinking water and citizens of Florida shall 23
be assured of the availability of safe drinking water. 24
Recognizing that this policy encompasses both environmental and 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
public health aspects, it is the intent of the Legislature to 26
provide a water supply program operated jointly by the 27
department, in a lead -agency role of primary responsibility for 28
the program, and by the Department of Health and its units, 29
including county health departments, in a supportive role with 30
specific duties and responsibilities of its own. Without any 31
relinquishment of Florida's sovereign powers and 32
responsibilities to provide for the public health, public 33
safety, and public welfare of the people of Florida, the 34
Legislature intends: 35
(1) To give effect to Pub. L . No. 93-523 promulgated under 36
the commerce clause of the United States Constitution, to the 37
extent that interstate commerce is directly affected. 38
(2) To encourage cooperation between federal, state, and 39
local agencies, not only in their enforcement role , but also in 40
their service and assistance roles to city and county elected 41
bodies. 42
(3) To provide for safe drinking water at all times 43
throughout this the state, with due regard for economic factors 44
and efficiency in government. 45
Section 2. Subsectio n (3) of section 403.853, Florida 46
Statutes, is amended to read: 47
403.853 Drinking water standards. — 48
(3)(a) The department shall adopt and implement adequate 49
rules specifying procedures for the enforcement of state primary 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
and secondary drinking water re gulations, including monitoring 51
and inspection procedures, which that comply with regulations 52
established by the administrator pursuant to the federal act. 53
(b) The department shall adopt and implement rules that 54
establish a statewide drinking water maxim um contaminant level 55
for 1,4-dioxane of less than or equal to .35 micrograms per 56
liter. Such rules must require a public water system to: 57
1. By January 1, 2025, test all of the system's 58
groundwater wells for 1,4 -dioxane. 59
2. If such testing detects 1,4 -dioxane at levels greater 60
than .35 micrograms per liter: 61
a. Develop and submit to the department for approval a 62
mitigation plan to bring any such concentration to an amount at 63
or below such level, and comply with the new standards within 5 64
years after such rules are adopted. The mitigation plan may 65
include installing any required infrastructure to meet such 66
requirements; 67
b. Retest for 1,4-dioxane in the system's groundwater 68
wells at a frequency determined by the department; and 69
c. Make the mitigation plan submitted to and approved by 70
the department and the results of any testing publicly 71
available. 72
3. If such testing detects 1,4 -dioxane at a level of .35 73
micrograms per liter or less: 74
a. Make the results of such testing publicly available; 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
and 76
b. Retest for 1,4-dioxane in the system's groundwater 77
wells within 5 years after the previous test. 78
Section 3. Present subsections (7) through (16) of section 79
403.8532, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (8) 80
through (17), respectively, and a new subsection (7) is added to 81
that section, to read: 82
403.8532 Drinking water state revolving loan fund; use; 83
rules.— 84
(7) The department shall provide financial assistance to a 85
public water system for the purpose of updating any 86
infrastructure necess ary to meet the standards for 1,4 -dioxane 87
under s. 403.853(3)(b). Such assistance must include, at a 88
minimum, 20 percent of the funding necessary to update the 89
infrastructure to meet such standards. The department shall 90
establish by rule criteria for deter mining the needs of a public 91
water system and the amount of funds necessary to meet the 92
requirements of s. 403.853(3)(b)2. 93
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 94