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

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances § 21-262 governs reclaimed water, defined as water that has received at least secondary treatment and high-level disinfection at a city wastewater facility and meets Chapter 62-610, Florida Administrative Code, Part III unrestricted-public-access standards. Reclaimed water may be used only for listed purposes: irrigating non-residential public-access areas like golf courses, cemeteries, parks and highway medians; irrigating multi-family residential landscaping of at least one acre; irrigating private property intended for frequent use by many people; fire protection; decorative ponds and fountains; edible-crop irrigation; and construction-site dust control.

Toilet flushing is barred except in structures where that use already existed before the ordinance took effect. Customers cannot apply reclaimed water at more than two inches per week on an annual average, and must reduce supplemental fertilizer under the reuse nutrient management plan required by Chapter 9, Article V, unless a city-approved plan permits a higher rate. Service availability is entirely at the discretion of the general manager of Underground Utilities, who must find that supply is adequate and service would not harm the city system or the environment; the code explicitly states no person has a right to receive reclaimed water service and provides that it is interruptible, with the city free to limit flows at any time.

Connecting a customer's irrigation system requires a licensed plumber, a pressure-reducing valve if needed, a cross-connection check through the growth management department, and a backflow prevention assembly under § 21-261 to protect the potable supply; all customer-side pipes and above-ground parts must be color-coded and signed per Chapter 62-610, FAC. Customers must report any unauthorized use, discharge, or violation of applicable law to the general manager within 24 hours of discovery, and violations that endanger public health trigger immediate suspension of service until the general manager is satisfied the problem is cured.