Janelle Irwin Taylor
Two Democrats in the Florida Legislature hope to efficiently address sewage discharges and aging wastewater infrastructure with a pair of bills that would increase transparency.
Sen. Lori Berman of Boynton Beach and Rep. Lindsay Cross of St. Petersburg filed bills (SB 978 and HB 861) ahead of the 2025 Legislative Session that would direct the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to compile a comprehensive list of wastewater treatment facilities, where those facilities are located in relation to storm surge or flood zones, treatment levels at the facilities, whether they have spilled sewage in the past and the health of surrounding water bodies.
The list would allow the state to develop priority rankings of facility needs and how resources can best support infrastructure upgrades. It would also be used as a tool to notify the public of progress on upgrade projects. The reports from the list called for under the legislation would help guide policy and funding decisions now and into the future.
The two lawmakers — who, it’s worth noting, each serve from the super-minority in their respective chambers — are seeking to mitigate sewage discharges, which have become leading causes of water quality degradation throughout the state.
“It’s about time we get a handle on our state’s sewage and wastewater infrastructure. Looking at a tight budget, I am proud to file SB 978 with Rep. Cross to make sure that going forward, we are spending taxpayer dollars wisely and putting the most in need projects at the top of the list when it comes to state funding,” Berman said.
The problem is particularly acute in Cross’ hometown, St. Pete, where issues arose several years ago. A 2017 report from the state found the city, under then-Mayor Rick Kriseman, largely at fault for a 200-million-gallon sewage spill that occurred during what was then described as a 100-year rain event. The crisis nearly cost Kriseman his reelection, though he eventually pulled off a win.
More recently, Hurricane Helene spilled nearly 1.5 million gallons of untreated wastewater through neighborhoods. The spills were blamed overwhelmingly on overwhelmed infrastructure. One facility, the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, was responsible for 67% of the discharges. That facility suffered a seven-foot storm surge and had to be temporarily taken offline, leaving residents unable to flush toilets or do any other activity requiring water going down a drain.
“After hurricanes Eta, Debby, Helene and Milton, it’s clear that we need to prioritize resilient upgrades to our wastewater infrastructure. Residents in my district were unable to shower, wash dishes, or even use the restroom in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton due to potential damage from storm surge,” Cross said.
“Our vital infrastructure must be upgraded to address daily usage, as well as natural disasters. This will help lawmakers prioritize how to best spend finite tax dollars to ensure that we keep our waters clean and healthy and maintain consistent services for our residents and businesses.”
The legislation already has support from outside groups.
Mia McCormick, an advocate with Environment Florida, said clean water is a way of life in the Sunshine State.
“Over 70 million gallons of pollution spilled into our waterways and communities across the state after Hurricane Milton last year. The Advanced Wastewater Treatment bill is a great step to reducing sewage pollution and making our aging wastewater infrastructure more resilient,” she said.
And Tampa Bay Waterkeeper Executive Director Justin Tramble echoed that support.
“Florida is burdened by aging and inadequate wastewater infrastructure, causing water quality issues throughout our state,” he said. “It is important that we prioritize significant investments that bring us up to the 21st century. We are encouraged by this bill, which will have broad support in communities across the state. As Floridians, we’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact of raw sewage dumped into our rivers and bays. It’s time we prioritize getting this fixed. Our water is just too important to do anything less.”
Berman filed her bill on Friday, while Cross filed hers on Thursday.
If passed and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the law would take effect July 1. Neither bill has yet been assigned to a Committee.
