The Southwest Florida Water Management District moved one step closer to more effectively measuring how efficiently utility customers are using water.
Last week, the District’s Governing Board approved proposed rules that standardize Districtwide public supply per capita and related reporting requirements, which currently are in place in the southern eight counties of the District known as the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA.)
The Governing Board voted in January to begin the rulemaking process to expand the SWUCA public supply per capita use requirements Districtwide. Per capita water use is the average number of gallons per day used by a utility divided by the population served. Per capita use is used by the District and public supply utilities to determine the level of water use efficiency for each utility.
Expanding the SWUCA per capita requirements Districtwide will provide utilities with a standardized method for calculating populations served, such as permanent and seasonal residents, tourists and commuters. To level the playing field for utilities with varying degrees of industrial, institutional and commercial use, utilities may deduct certain significant uses of water not related to the water needs of the population served.
Significant use deductions are designed to allow utilities to deduct all or part of large uses such as factories, regional hospitals and government facilities when calculating per capita use. Conservation plans will be required for deducted significant uses.
The proposed rules also include:
*Requiring all utilities and public supply permittees with an average annual daily quantity above 100,000 gpd to submit annual per capita use data.
*Establishing a maximum Districtwide per capita rate of 150 gallons of water per person per day. Utilities outside of the District’s other existing water use caution areas will have until Jan. 1, 2012 to comply.
*Requiring public supply utilities to provide updated maps and information to better delineate their service areas.
*Requiring public supply utilities to submit annual reports on residential water use, reclaimed water use, stormwater and unaccounted for water use.
As part of the rulemaking process, staff has received input from the District’s Public Supply Advisory Committee and conducted two public workshops to solicit input from other public supply stakeholders. The proposed rules will be published in Florida Administrative Weekly, which will give the public 21 days to comment on the rules.
Expanding the SWUCA per capita requirements Districtwide is one of five initiatives the Governing Board has outlined to protect natural resources in the Northern portion of the District undergoing rapid growth and development. The other four initiatives include expansion of the Northern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area into northeastern Hillsborough and the remainder of Pasco counties; potential designation of a water use caution area in portions of Marion and Sumter counties; potential designation of a water use caution area in all or part of Citrus and Hernando counties; and enhancing public supply water conservation requirements Districtwide. The purpose of a water use caution area is to impose special requirements for existing water users and permit applicants to prevent or remedy regional problems.