62-40.531. Regional Water Supply Plans

(1) As part of the District Water Management Plans, each governing board shall develop a regional water supply plan for each water supply planning region for which the districtwide water supply assessment determines that sources of water are not adequate to supply water for all existing and projected reasonable-beneficial uses and to sustain the surface and ground water resources and related natural systems. The planning shall be conducted in an open public process, in coordination and cooperation with local governments, regional water supply authorities, government-owned and privately owned water utilities, self-suppliers, and other affected and interested parties. As part of meeting the requirements of Section 373.0361, F.S., for regional water supply plans:

(a) The planning horizon shall be at least 20 years and shall include intermediate water use projections for every 5 year interval.

(b) Water use estimates and projections shall be provided for the following use classes:

1. Public Supply,

2. Domestic Self Supply,

3. Agriculture,

4. Recreational Irrigation,

5. Industrial/Commercial/Institutional,

6. Thermoelectric.

(c) The University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) medium population projections shall be considered for population projections. Any adjustment or deviation from the BEBR projections shall be fully described and the original BEBR data shall be presented along with the adjusted data.

(2) Each plan shall fully evaluate water resource and water supply development options, including the potential for water conservation, and alternative sources such as desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, use of surface water reservoirs, and reuse of reclaimed water, to meet the regional demands.

(3) Conservation and reuse shall be evaluated to the same degree as other options.

(4) Each plan shall include water supply development projects as defined in Section 373.019(21), F.S. Water supply development projects generally include activities intended to benefit specific individual utilities or other users. Examples include the following types of projects when they provide a localized benefit: wellfields, aquifer storage and recovery wells, desalination facilities, water storage reservoirs, conservation programs to improve water use efficiency, and reuse facilities.

(5) Each plan shall provide a list of water resource development projects as defined in Section 373.019(19), F.S. Water resource development projects generally include those intended to provide regional benefits as opposed to utility-specific or localized benefits. A project that benefits a specific utility may be classified as a water resource development project if that project provides a regional benefit. Examples include the following types of projects when they provide regional benefits: aquifer recharge, aquifer storage and recovery systems, water storage reservoirs, reuse of reclaimed water projects, and water conservation programs to improve water use efficiency. Water resource development may also include studies that match reclaimed water generators with users, feasibility studies, pilot projects, demonstration projects, and mobile irrigation labs.

(6) The Regional Water Supply Plan shall include any recovery or prevention strategy developed for an adopted minimum flow or level, and account for any existing reservations of water.

(7) At the time a district updates its regional water supply plan, if the district intends to establish water reservations, it shall include in its plan a priority list and schedule for the establishment of the proposed reservations. However, nothing in this subsection shall preclude a district from adopting a rule establishing a water reservation not identified on the priority list or schedule.

(8) Each plan, or the determination of the need for a plan, shall be updated at least every 5 years.

Specific Authority 373.026(7), 373.036(1), (2), 373.043, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.023, 373.026, 373.036(1)(d), 373.0395, 373.042, 373.046, 373.103, 373.106, 373.171, 373.1961, 373.223, 373.246, 373.418, 373.451, 373.453, 403.0615(3), 403.064, 403.0891 FS. History–New 5-7-05.