June 28, 2024   By Brad Stager  

As the population of Hillsborough County continues to grow, meeting the water needs of residents and businesses becomes an ongoing challenge which is being met through a variety of methods, such as mandated restrictions and other conservation methods, including the use of reclaimed water.

Reclaimed water is water that has been used in a household or industrial setting and is treated to a degree that it can be safely used for things like irrigation of lawns. Reusing water helps reduce the strain on the area’s primary sources of drinking water, the Hillsborough River and the Floridan aquifer, and costs less than potable water for customers.

The use of reclaimed water is governed by federal, state and local laws and regulations. Irrigating lawns and landscaped areas, such as golf courses, are typical uses of reclaimed water. Among the things to keep in mind when using reclaimed water from Hillsborough County for home gardens or other agricultural purposes is that it can be used for the direct irrigation of edible crops only if the produce will be peeled, skinned or cooked before consuming, otherwise an indirect process, such as drip irrigation, is required. Watering can be done any day of the week but is not allowed between the hours of 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Reclaimed water can also be used for industrial processes like cooling and cleaning. It cannot be used for filling swimming pools or hot tubs.

The role that reclaimed water plays in ensuring an adequate water supply for county residents was underscored in remarks made by Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen at a recent commission meeting.

“Hillsborough County has countless natural resources; parks, wildlife, beautiful scenery and our most treasured resource, which is water. We must do everything we can to conserve it. Hillsborough County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District do a phenomenal job providing clean drinking water, wastewater treatment and reclaimed water services that enable our community to grow and prosper.”

Because of infrastructure requirements, access to reclaimed water is considered on an individual basis when a request for the service is made by a neighborhood or community association. More information is available at https://hcfl.gov/ or by calling 813-272-5977.