Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0861 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	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
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to advanced wastewater treatment ; 2
16	16	providing legislative findings; requiring the 3
17	17	Department of Environmental Protection, in 4
18	18	consultation with the water management districts and 5
19	19	sewage disposal facilities, to submit to the Governor 6
20	20	and Legislature specified reports on certain sewage 7
21	21	disposal facilities in the state ; providing an 8
22	22	effective date. 9
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24	24	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Fl orida: 11
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26	26	Section 1. (1) The Legislature finds that the discharge 13
27	27	of inadequately treated wastewater and aging sewage disposal 14
28	28	facilities compromise the quality of the environment, including 15
29	29	freshwater, brackish water, and nearshore and offshore salt 16
30	30	waters, and threatens the quality of life and local economies in 17
31	31	the state that depend on those resources. The Legislature also 18
32	32	finds that the only practical and cost -effective way to 19
33	33	fundamentally improve wastewater management is to require 20
34	34	advanced wastewater treatment or better at all sewage disposal 21
35	35	facilities with a permitted capacity of greater than 1 million 22
36	36	gallons per day in the state. 23
37	37	(2) In order to prioritize the upgrade of sewage disposal 24
38	38	facilities, by December 31, 2025, the Department of 25
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47	47	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
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51	51	Environmental Protection, in consultation with the water 26
52	52	management districts and wastewater facilities, shall submit to 27
53	53	the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of 28
54	54	the House of Representatives a report detailing all of the 29
55	55	following for all sewage disposal facilities with a permitted 30
56	56	capacity of greater than 1 million gallons per day in the state: 31
57	57	(a) Year of construction for the facility and any 32
58	58	maintenance or upgrades. 33
59	59	(b) Total permitted volume of water treated daily. 34
60	60	(c) Actual permitted volume of water treated daily 35
61	61	including the most recent 1 year and 5 year averages. 36
62	62	(d) Current level of treatment, including concentrations 37
63	63	for each of the following: 38
64	64	1. Biochemical oxygen demand. 39
65	65	2. Suspended solids. 40
66	66	3. Total nitrogen. 41
67	67	4. Total phosphorus. 42
68	68	5. 1,4-dioxane. 43
69	69	6. Perfluorooctanoic acid. 44
70	70	7. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. 45
71	71	8. Molybdenum. 46
72	72	9. Other contaminants of emerging concern as determined by 47
73	73	the department. 48
74	74	(e) Estimated total pollutant loading based on permitted 49
75	75	volume and concentrations. 50
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84	84	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
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88	88	(f) Disposal methods and the volume discharged to any 51
89	89	receiving waterbodies, if applicable, pursuant to s. 52
90	90	403.064(17), Florida Statutes. 53
91	91	(g) Impairment status of any receiving waterbodies within 54
92	92	the watershed. 55
93	93	(h) Implementation status of total maximum daily loads and 56
94	94	basin management action plans and recommended reductions for 57
95	95	load allocations and wasteload allocations for pollutants of 58
96	96	concern. 59
97	97	(i) Total volume and concentration of any permitted and 60
98	98	nonpermitted wastewa ter spills since 2010. 61
99	99	(j) Elevation of the facility and supporting 62
100	100	infrastructure. 63
101	101	(k) Location within a floodplain, flood zone, or coastal 64
102	102	high-hazard area and, if applicable, the corresponding zone 65
103	103	number. 66
104	104	(3) By December 31, 2026, the department, in consultation 67
105	105	with the water management districts and sewage disposal 68
106	106	facilities, shall submit to the Governor, the President of the 69
107	107	Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report 70
108	108	outlining a priority ranking process to upgrade all sew age 71
109	109	disposal facilities in the state to advanced waste treatment by 72
110	110	2036, based on all of the following: 73
111	111	(a) Overall environmental benefit of a project based on: 74
112	112	1. Water quality in receiving waterbodies, including 75
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121	121	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
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125	125	impairment status; 76
126	126	2. Severity and duration of documented algal blooms; 77
127	127	3. Loss of submerged vegetation; 78
128	128	4. Death of fish and wildlife; 79
129	129	5. Public health advisories; 80
130	130	6. Quantity and concentration of permitted and 81
131	131	nonpermitted spills; and 82
132	132	7. Risk of failure. 83
133	133	(b) Estimated reductio n in nutrient and pollutant loads 84
134	134	with advanced waste treatment. 85
135	135	(c) An explanation of additional projects necessary to 86
136	136	meet any adopted total maximum daily loads and basin management 87
137	137	action plans if upgrading to advanced treatment is not 88
138	138	sufficient. 89
139	139	(d) Cost-effectiveness as determined by a planning -level 90
140	140	cost estimate. 91
141	141	(e) Potential financial assistance available, including 92
142	142	the water quality improvement grant program under s. 403.0673, 93
143	143	Florida Statutes, and availability of local matching funds. 94
144	144	(f) Project readiness and the estimated date of 95
145	145	completion. 96
146	146	(4) By June 30, 2027, the department, in consultation with 97
147	147	the water management districts and sewage disposal facilities, 98
148	148	shall submit to the Governor, President of the Senate, and 99
149	149	Speaker of the House of Representatives a progress report on the 100
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158	158	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
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162	162	status of upgrades established under subsection (3) for each 101
163	163	sewage disposal facility with a permitted capacity of greater 102
164	164	than 1 million gallons per day in the state. The report must 103
165	165	include a list of the sewage disposal facilities with a 104
166	166	permitted capacity of greater than 1 million gallons per day 105
167	167	required to upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment, the 106
168	168	preliminary cost estimates for the upgrades, a projected 107
169	169	timeline of the dates by which the upgrades wi ll begin and be 108
170	170	completed, and the date by which operations of the upgraded 109
171	171	sewage disposal facility will begin. 110
172	172	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 111