Hillsborough County, FL Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ord. No. 90-32, Sec. 102-220 et seq.
- Reuse status
- Voluntary unless permit-mandated
- Applies to
- Unincorporated County only
- Unauthorized tampering
- Cost recovery plus attorney's fees
- Inspection refusal
- Immediate service discontinuance
- Emergency shutoff
- County Administrator may interrupt service
Summary
Reclaimed water use in unincorporated Hillsborough County is voluntary except where a development's wastewater permit requires it, and every connection runs through the County Reclaimed Water Ordinance. Tampering with a reclaimed water line or refusing an inspection is a violation that can get service cut off immediately.
(a) Unless expressly authorized in writing by the County Administrator, no individual or organization shall tamper with, work on, or in any way alter or damage any County Reclaimed Water Facility... The offending person shall be liable for the cost of all charges attributable to the correction of such tampering, including attorney's fees. The County may commence an action for appropriate legal or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this article. However, payment for correcting damage to the system shall not relieve the offending person from other civil or criminal penalties which may be applicable.
Full Breakdown
The Hillsborough County Reclaimed Water Ordinance (Sec. , Part B) governs every reclaimed water connection in the unincorporated County, applying only where the County provides or plans to provide wastewater service under the Future of Hillsborough Comprehensive Plan (Sec. 102-224). Reclaimed water is defined as domestic wastewater that has received at least secondary treatment under FDEP standards and is reused after leaving a County treatment plant (Sec. 102-221). Reuse by a customer is voluntary (Sec. 102-227(b)), but the County Administrator monitors connections to keep demand within system capacity and may limit a customer's use at any time; the County makes no promise reclaimed water service will remain available (Sec.
102-227(d)). Applicants apply to the County Administrator, and accepting the County's conditions of service creates a binding contract to pay the prescribed rates and follow all rules (Sec. 102-228). Customers are solely responsible for maintaining their own reuse system in working order at their own cost (Sec. 102-227(c)). No one may tamper with, work on, or connect to a County reclaimed water facility without written authorization; the offending party owes the County the full cost of correcting the tampering, including attorney's fees, on top of any civil or criminal penalty (Sec.
102-229(a)). The County may inspect any connected device at any time it has reasonable cause to suspect a violation, or during normal working hours otherwise; applying for service is deemed consent to that entry, and refusing an inspector access is itself a violation that is grounds for immediate discontinuance of service (Sec. 102-230). Constructed distribution systems and transmission mains built by a developer in the right-of-way must be conveyed to the County once the County confirms they meet County construction standards, are in good working condition, sit in a right-of-way or approved easement, and carry an engineer-of-record certification (Sec. 102-231).
Violations & Fines
The County Administrator may interrupt reclaimed water delivery to any property where a violation of the article occurs, continuing the interruption until service resumption is deemed appropriate, and may take further emergency action to protect people or property from expected harm, billing the customer for all resulting emergency costs (Sec. 102-233). Unauthorized tampering additionally exposes the offender to the County's cost-recovery action plus attorney's fees and any separate civil or criminal penalty (Sec. 102-229(a)), and denying an inspector access is grounds for immediate discontinuance of service (Sec. 102-230(c)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is reclaimed water use mandatory in Hillsborough County?
Who is responsible for maintaining a reclaimed water reuse system?
Can the County shut off my reclaimed water without notice?
Does the County guarantee reclaimed water will be available?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsborough County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hillsborough County to another location·View the Florida water use rules overview
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