Beat water restrictions with reclaimed water

Lake Alfred, FL -- You've probably heard tough water restrictions don't apply to people using "reclaimed water". So what is reclaimed water, and how do you get your hands on it?

In eastern Polk County sits a sprawling citrus grove, where the juicy product squeezed from the fruit -- is scientific research.

A pair of University of Florida professors here are two of the state's gurus on reclaimed water.

They study experimental groves like the one in Lake Alfred to see how reclaimed water can benefit citrus, one of Florida's most important industries, and -- as a byproduct -- how it can benefit your front lawn. They're the perfect people to ask: "What is reclaimed water?"

"Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater," explained UF professor Larry Parsons.

Yep -- it's what you flush.

But Parsons says it's been so cleaned up and chlorinated, only chemical tests and microscopes can tell reclaimed water from fresh water.

"It's crystal clear, meets 95 percent of the drinking water standards, it has no color, no smell, no odor," said Parsons, who works at UF's Citrus Research and Education Center.

That cleaning process is typically set up by local governments, and then the water's given away or sold cheaply to anyone who hooks up to the reclaimed water system's network of buried pipes.

So to get it, you have to live near the pipes, or convince your utility to extend the pipes to you.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to see maps of areas where reclaimed water is available right now.

Some private companies will deliver reclaimed water to your lawn with a big tanker truck.

In some areas, the stuff's been used for 40-plus years.

"We currently use it on over 200,000 homes, over 400 golf courses," Parsons said.

In the end, it's good, ol' fashioned recycling. Reusing water you can't drink on lawns and crops -- to keep water you can drink flowing from your tap.

"It helps us, basically, extend our drinking water supplies. By using reclaimed water in greater amounts, we are able to save some of the drinking water," Parsons said.

Professor Parsons' research shows citrus trees love reclaimed water just as much as fresh water, and he figures your lawn would love it, too.

Follow 10 Connects multi-media journalist Grayson Kamm on Twitter as @graysonkamm.