Wastewater

General Facts and Statistics about Wastewater in Florida

There are over 3,500 active wastewater facilities regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Approximately 1,400 of these facilities are classified as industrial and approximately 2,100 as domestic wastewater.
Approximately one-third of Florida’s population uses on-site sewage treatment and disposal (septic tanks) to treat their wastewater. These systems are permitted by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) through the Bureau of Onsite Sewage. The remainder of Florida's population is served by domestic wastewater facilities which are permitted by DEP.

There are approximately 2,100 permitted domestic wastewater facilities regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Domestic wastewater treatment facilities which are permitted by DEP have a total treatment capacity of over 2.5 billion gallons per day.
Treated effluent and reclaimed water from these facilities is over 1.5 billion gallons per day. This includes disposal through surface water outfalls, deep aquifer injection wells, and other groundwater disposal such as percolation ponds and spray fields.
Florida is a national leader in water reuse. Approximately 673 million gallons per day of reclaimed water was reused for beneficial purposes in 2009.
About 18% percent of the domestic wastewater treatment facilities which are permitted by DEP have capacities greater than 500,000 gallons per day. These facilities, however, account for more than 96% percent of the total permitted domestic wastewater treatment capacity in the state.
About 73% percent of the domestic wastewater treatment facilities which are permitted by DEP have capacities less than 100,000 gallons per day. These facilities, however, account for only about 2% percent of the total permitted domestic wastewater treatment capacity in the state.

There are approximately 1,400 permitted industrial wastewater facilities regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Please see the Department’s Wastewater Facility Information web page for the most current list of domestic and industrial wastewater facilities in the state with an active permit or at some other stage of the permitting process. This list is updated monthly.
Didn't see the statistic you were looking for? For more information on wastewater statistics not located on this website, you may wish to contact the Wastewater Compliance Evaluation Section at 245-8567.
- Wastewater Contacts