Florida's Reuse Activities

Reuse has become an integral part of wastewater management, water resource management, and ecosystem management in Florida.

During the past 23 years, Florida has risen to be recognized as a national leader in water reuse. Approximately 891 million gallons per day (mgd) of reclaimed water were used for beneficial purposes in 2023. This represents an average per capita reuse of 30.56 gallons per day per person. Using 891 mgd of reclaimed water is estimated to have avoided the use of over 154 billion gallons of potable quality water while serving to add more than 94 billion gallons back to available ground water supplies.

The total reuse capacity of Florida’s domestic wastewater treatment facilities has increased from 1,116 mgd in 2000 to 2,497 mgd in 2023. The current reuse capacity represents about 55 percent of the total permitted domestic wastewater treatment capacity in Florida.

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Florida's Reuse

Reclaimed water from public access reuse systems was used to irrigate 655,171 residences, 536 golf courses, 1,104 parks and 417 schools. Irrigation of these areas accessible to the public represented about 60 percent of the 891 mgd of reclaimed water reused.

Figure 3: Florida's Reuse Growth

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For a complete summary of reuse in Florida and to see how Florida compares to the rest of the United States, go to Reuse Inventory Database and Annual Report Webpage.