Feds may jack up Florida sewer bills

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to establish stringent, numeric nutrient water quality standards throughout the state will be impossible to meet and impose serious economic hardship, according to a coalition of Florida businesses, associations and public entities.

A Tallahassee federal judge's recent ruling on the matter may have national implications, but it could also put more downward pressure on Florida housing prices. It's estimated that a typical Florida resident's sewer bill would increase by $740 per year to meet the requirements.

To educate Floridians on the issue, the coalition has created a Web site, www.DontTaxFlorida.com. According to the site, “These one-size-fits-all, litigation driven requirements have no scientific basis and would force utilities to increase wastewater rates by 100%. Total capital costs of meeting the EPA's requirements that will be passed on to Florida's families could reach into the billions.”