New Systems Capacity Development Program

Capacity development (CD) is an initiative by the state to ensure that drinking water systems acquire and maintain adequate technical, managerial and financial capabilities to enable them to consistently provide safe drinking water. Capacity has three components: technical, managerial and financial.

The requirements of the new systems CD program may apply to your system, if the following applies:

System or proposed system is a CWS (community water system) or NTNCWS (non-transient, non-community water system) which:

1. is constructed on or after October 1, 1999, or
2. commences operations on or after October 1, 1999, or
3. was a non-PWS (public water system) which added infrastructure to become a NTNCWS or CWS on or after October 1, 1999, or
4. was a TNC (transient noncommunity public water system) which added infrastructure to become a NTNCWS or CWS on or after August 28, 2003.

Non-PWSs or TNCs that add additional users and thereby become NTNCWSs or CWSs without infrastructure (treatment or connections) addition are not subject to the new systems capacity development requirements.

Systems subject to the new systems CD requirements will be required to demonstrate acceptable financial and managerial capacity using DEP Form 62-555.900(20). The department’s determination of acceptable financial and managerial capacity will be one of the requirements that systems must meet in order to be eligible for a construction permit. A construction permit will not be granted until the department has determined the demonstration of capacity to be acceptable.

If a construction permit has already been granted, the department’s determination of acceptable financial and managerial capacity will be one of the requirements that systems must meet in order to be eligible for clearance for use. The department has already notified uncleared systems that received construction permits before the rules were effective.

For more information: DEP Form 62-555.900(20) is available in the Forms Section of the Drinking Water website. The new systems CD requirements are in Chapters 62-550 and 62-555, F.A.C., and they are available in the Rules Section of the Drinking Water website. The New Water System Capacity Development Planning Manual, an optional reference document, is available upon request from the person listed below. An excerpt from this document can be downloaded below. If you have questions about the new systems CD requirements or would like to know if they apply to your system, please contact Virginia Harmon of the Drinking Water Program, Florida DEP, 2600 Blair Stone Road, M.S. 3520, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400, 850-245-8630.