Watering proposal promises conflict

TAMPA -- To entice residents to use reclaimed water, Hillsborough County officials struck a deal with property owners: Pay thousands of dollars for the installation of pipes, and we'll let you sprinkle away for a small monthly fee.

The program seemed to work. In recent years, the county has signed 9,800 people to the system. It has contracts with 6,100 more that run through the year 2020.

But reclaimed water users may be in for a surprise.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is proposing a rule change that would require the county to install meters on every residential property connected to the system. The projected cost is at least $12-million.

Users of reclaimed water could see their rates jump by as much as 80 percent. That could undermine agreements already reached with many subdivisions.

And watering would be limited to twice a week, which wouldn't be much different from the restrictions placed on homes that use potable water. They are currently restricted to watering once a week.

Approval would "ruin the reclaimed water program in Hillsborough County," said Dan Ruskiewicz, who negotiated the first contract with the county as property manager of Carrollwood Village. "People will never sign up for reclaimed water if they're metered."

Although the changes have been under consideration for about a year, Hillsborough commissioners learned about the draft rule only this week. Now they are preparing warning letters to be sent to the associations within the system and to Gov. Jeb Bush .

In recent months, commissioners have been trying to strengthen their bonds with reclaimed water users by offering agreements that would shield them from metering for 30 years. Carrollwood Village, which has more than 2,000 users, signed on.

"We want to alert those 17,000 customers out there that something is happening," said commission Chairwoman Pat Frank. "They are going to be extremely upset to find out the cost of reclaimed (water) is going to be much more than they ever agreed to."

Swiftmud spokesman Michael Molligan said the proposal is far from final. But the thinking that went into it is a strong reflection of the district's concern about the way people use reclaimed water.

The value of reclaimed water in Swiftmud's overall conservation plan is higher than ever, Molligan said. It should be treated as a precious resource on a par with potable water, he said.

"When you give people recycled water and allow them a flat rate, . . . historically, people use three times more water than people on metered systems," Molligan said.

The county Water Department thinks Swiftmud wants to raise the cost of reclaimed water to 80 percent of the cost of potable water. That would increase the monthly price for the average household from $9 to $16.

In addition to the monthly flat fee, reclaimed water users must pay off the cost of installing the systems. In some cases, people are paying an average of $50 a month for systems that often cost thousands of dollars to put in.

And since reclaimed water is produced every day from wastewater, Water Department Director Michael McWeeny wonders where the county will store the excess water if people can water only twice a week.

Swiftmud's governing board, the district's ultimate decision-maker, will discuss the proposed rule at its Oct. 30 meeting in Sarasota, Molligan said. A series of workshops will follow, during which people can express criticism. District staff will then present a final proposal to the board.

There is a good chance that at least some associations will try to recoup their investments in the system if metering goes ahead, Ruskiewicz said. In that case, they could file a breach of contract suit against Hillsborough, whose water conservation program Ruskiewicz praised.

"They would probably have to pay us off," he said.

-- Josh Zimmer can be reached at 813-269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com.

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