Sarasota County, FL Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

Under Chapter 22, Article IV of the Sarasota County Code, any community water system serving an area also served by a reclaimed water system regulated under Part III of Chapter 62-610, Florida Administrative Code, must establish and implement a cross-connection control program requiring backflow preventers on every isolated premises, a method the code calls "cross connection control by containment protection" (Sec. 22-94(2)). C. 360, and every backflow preventer installed downstream of the service connection must meet Florida Building Code standards (Sec. 22-94(3)-(4)). Sec. 22-95 establishes the countywide Cross-Connection Control Program: when a required backflow test, repair, replacement, or installation is due, the County first mails a First Notice by regular mail giving the property owner a minimum of 30 days to comply, followed by a Second Notice sent by certified mail or process service at least 45 days later that spells out the reason for noncompliance and the code enforcement remedies that follow.

The program applies on top of, not instead of, the internal fixture-protection backflow preventers the Florida Building Code already requires inside each building. The Board may also adopt a schedule of Cross-Connection Control Program fees and charges by resolution, which must be approved before Utilities can bill customers under Sec. 22-97. The ordinance traces back to Ordinance No. 89-19, was repealed and replaced by Ordinance No. 2007-093, and was last amended by Ordinance No. 2016-009, which renumbered several sections within the article.