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

Chapter 159, Article 6 of the Martin County Code of Ordinances (Sec. 167) is the county's groundwater protection article, adopted by Ordinance No. 465 in 1995 to keep new development from harming the shallow aquifer that supplies both irrigation and drinking water countywide. It applies to every preliminary development plan and minor nonresidential site plan filed after the ordinance took effect (Sec. 163), and requires each applicant to identify its proposed water source and submit that information to the Growth Management Department (Sec. 165). Sec.

5 imposes the reclaimed-water mandate: a project 'shall use irrigation quality (IQ) wastewater when available,' with availability defined as a distribution main located within 100 feet of the property and IQ capacity on hand. Once reclaimed water is available, potable water can no longer be used for irrigation, and any existing irrigation system still running on County potable water must disconnect and tie into the reclaimed system within one year of written notice from the County. The Utilities Department can grant a temporary variance from the switch-over only during a reclaimed-water shortage or other operational problem, per the same subsection.

Sec. 167 makes noncompliance with any approved design criteria, or with the special conditions of a federal or state permit tied to the project, a violation of the article, and the county monitors withdrawal rates to confirm ongoing compliance.