Sanford, FL Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

Sanford created its reclaimed water reuse program to reuse highly treated wastewater by land application instead of discharging it to Lake Monroe, conserving groundwater and reducing surface-water discharge under Sec. 102-486. New development is folded directly into the program: Sec. 102-486(b) requires developers and owners of new facilities to extend reclaimed water service mains as necessary to provide reclaimed water reuse within their development, generally up to the level of new wastewater flow the development generates, in accordance with the city's land development regulations, Schedule P.

Where a development is not required to connect to an existing reclaimed line and chooses not to, Sec. 102-488 requires it instead to connect to the city's Alternative Water Supply (AWS) source, which draws on reclaimed water, stormwater, shallow wells and brackish water, for irrigation purposes. The city manager administers connection, installation, backflow-prevention and inspection procedures under Sec. 102-487, and customers give written consent to city inspection of their reclaimed water systems as a condition of service. If a customer's reclaimed water system violates any city ordinance, regulation or procedure, Sec.

102-487(d) authorizes immediate discontinuance of reclaimed water service under Sec. 102-491, independent of any civil or criminal liability the customer may separately face. Reclaimed water may never be piped into a residence or dwelling unit. A property owner found with a noncomplying device is liable to the city for the excess cost of securing or removing it over the cost of a normal service discontinuance, and that excess cost becomes a lien against the property.