Objective 9.1.5. - Reclaimed Water Use.

Expand the practice of using reclaimed water for irrigation of agricultural, recreational, industrial, urban land uses, and for fire protection purposes. Establish a multi-modal, regional approach to ensure that changes in climactic, or other, conditions not limit Manatee County's ability to meet current disposal needs and to reduce the use of potable water sources and groundwater for irrigation purposes.

Policy 9.1.5.1. Encourage long-term agreements with local growers to provide recovered water for irrigation of horticultural or agricultural uses near the Southwest wastewater treatment plant and near the Southeast and North County sub-regional treatment plants.

Policy 9.1.5.2. Require the use of reclaimed water to irrigate agricultural land, recreational lands, replenish the groundwater aquifer, and to irrigate landscaping and provide fire protection in current, and future, urban areas.

Policy 9.1.5.3. Pursue a regional approach, whenever feasible, to the use of reclaimed water through development of interlocal agreements with local governments and surrounding jurisdictions.

Implementation Mechanism:

(a)

Coordination with other jurisdictions to ensure compliance with this policy.

Policy 9.1.5.4. Require the construction of an on-site distribution system for the transmission of reclaimed water or other alternative sources for projects that meet the following criteria:

(1)

The proposed project is outside of the WO Overlay Districts, and

(2)

The proposed project is located in an area within which Manatee County has installed a distribution system for the reuse of reclaimed water, or has programmed the installation of such a system.

Any such on-site system shall provide for conveyance of reclaimed water from the project's boundaries to the lot lines of each parcel within the project, to facilitate landscape irrigation with reclaimed water in lieu of potable water, when implemented by the end user of the lot.

(3)

Off-site connections are required to be constructed at the development's expense in accordance with guidelines specified in applicable ordinances.

Implementation Mechanism(s):

(a)

Agreements consistent with state and local regulations, amendments to the Land Development Code, and Code of Ordinances, or other public/private agreements implementing this policy.

Policy 9.1.5.5. Require new development to oversize the reclaimed distribution system where needed to efficiently distribute reclaimed water to development.

• Where a development is required to oversize any component of the reclaimed water distribution system for purposes of increasing system capacity to greater than that required by the proposed project, Manatee County shall pay for the cost of additional materials necessary for oversizing.

• Manatee County shall not pay for labor costs associated with installation of the oversized system, unless substantial differences in pipe diameters (or other infrastructure parameters) cause a significant increase in labor costs.

(Ord. No. 16-11, § 3, 3-3-16; Ord. No. 18-04 , § 11(Exh. I), 8-23-18)