CS/HB 7177 Summary

• Creates the Conserve Florida Clearinghouse and Conserve Florida Clearinghouse Guide to assist public water supply utilities in developing goal-based water conservation plans for obtaining consumptive use permits.

• Expands regional water supply planning to include wastewater utilities, reuse utilities, and the Department of Environmental Protection as coordinating parties.

• Delegates permit application review authority to water management district executive directors while requiring boards to provide a process for referring permit denials back to the board for final action.

• Reduces compliance reporting frequency for 20-year consumptive use permits from every 5 years to every 10 years, with an exception allowing the Suwannee River Water Management District to require 5-year reports through July 1, 2015.

• Requires water management districts to adopt rules for reclaimed water feasibility evaluations that include documentation from reuse utilities regarding availability and costs of reclaimed water service within a 5-year horizon.