What did the County ask UCO to do?
The September 8, 2025 Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department letter, reproduced on page 22 of the November 2025 UCO Reporter, identifies United Civic Organization, Inc., at 2102 West Drive as the reclaimed-water service location.
The letter calls for property owners, residents, and users in the reclaimed-water service area to be informed about the water’s origin, characteristics, permitted uses, and limitations. It lists newsletters, mail, email, posted advisories, signs, brochures, broadcast media, and websites as ways to communicate.
It also asks that the accompanying information be included in materials sent to owners receiving reclaimed water for irrigation, and requests proof of notification identifying how the information was conveyed.
The supplied PDF includes the letter and the following newspaper page, but not the safety handout mentioned in the letter. Obtain that handout, or its current replacement, from UCO or the County before treating a distribution as complete.
What is reclaimed water?
It is wastewater that has been treated, filtered, and disinfected for approved reuse. Palm Beach County explains that its reclaimed-water network is separate from the drinking-water network; purple piping identifies reclaimed-water distribution.
Using it for landscape irrigation helps conserve fresh drinking-water supplies. Treated for irrigation does not mean intended for drinking.
Understand the system. Protect the community.
Why this matters in Century Village
A community-wide water arrangement can be unfamiliar to owners who only see sprinklers, lake water, or landscape crews. Clear information helps residents recognize the system and know whom to contact.
The service letter is addressed to UCO. An individual association should coordinate with UCO about its role in distributing information and retaining evidence, rather than assume it is the County’s direct reclaimed-water customer.
Reclaimed Bulk Water AgreementResident precautions
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| Landscape irrigation | Use only within the approved system and its operating instructions. Ask management before changing equipment or adding a connection. |
| Drinking or household use | Do not drink reclaimed water or use it for cooking. Keep it separate from household drinking-water plumbing. |
| Pools and recreation | Do not use it to fill swimming pools, hot tubs, or wading pools. Observe posted lake and pond restrictions. |
| Vegetables and fruit | Edible crops have specific application restrictions. Obtain current County guidance before irrigating a food garden; ordinary lawn sprinklers are not automatic authorization. |
| Pipes, valves, and outlets | Do not alter or interconnect reclaimed-water lines with other systems. Report damaged identification or suspected improper connections. |
These general precautions draw on Florida DEP guidance. The County’s current customer handout and the local system’s permitted uses should guide site-specific instructions.
As a practical courtesy, route sprinklers away from entrances and pedestrian paths where possible. Residents using walkers or mobility aids should not have to pass through irrigation spray to reach their homes. Report broken heads, persistent overspray, and wet or slippery walkways to the association or manager.
Signs are part of communication
Florida DEP explains that public-access reuse areas need legible advisory signs. They must show Do not drink in English and Spanish with the standard international symbol; signs at reclaimed-water lakes, ponds, and decorative water features also need Do not swim in both languages with the corresponding symbol.
Boards can flag missing, damaged, or obscured signs to UCO and the responsible operator. Ask who maintains each sign and where additional notice is needed. A website article supports communication, but does not replace required on-site signs.
Good communication is preventive maintenance.
A practical board checklist
- Confirm the status with UCO. Ask whether the 2025 notification and proof submission were completed, and whether the County has issued updated instructions.
- Get the full information package. Request the referenced safety handout, current permitted-use guidance, and distribution instructions.
- Identify the audience. Include owners, tenants, seasonal residents, and other users of affected areas. Give landscape and irrigation vendors the applicable operating guidance.
- Use accessible delivery. Combine print or posted information with email or the association website so residents without internet access receive the message.
- Keep evidence. Retain the notice version, dates, audience, distribution method, posting photographs where useful, and any submission acknowledgment. Coordinate with UCO before duplicating a County submission.
- Maintain awareness. Consider including approved information in welcome packets and vendor orientation. This is a recommended practice, not a newly established annual deadline.
Questions to ask—not assumptions to make
- Which areas and irrigation systems are supplied with reclaimed water?
- Who maintains the lake, irrigation components, warning signs, and cross-connection safeguards?
- Who receives reports of leaks, overspray, or equipment concerns?
- What evidence does UCO need from our association?
- Has the County acknowledged the notification, or requested additional action?
The notice concerns public information and safe use. It does not itself announce a drinking-water contamination event, change a bulk-water rate, or confirm the renewal status of the underlying agreement.
Sources & related reading
Source attachment: UCO Reporter, November 2025, page 22: County letter dated September 8, 2025, “Public Advisory Notice of Reclaimed Water Use.” The letter names Kairo Rodriguez as project coordinator; verify current contact and submission instructions with UCO or the County.
- Palm Beach County: Learn About Reclaimed Water
- Florida DEP: Public notification and advisory signs
- Florida DEP: Sample customer information flyer (general guidance, not the missing County handout)
- United Civic Organization
Prepared October 17, 2026. Educational summary; confirm current local instructions and notification status with UCO and Palm Beach County Water Utilities.
Keep notification evidence separate from operating records
Board Synergy recommended practice Maintain two linked records so distributing a notice is not mistaken for verifying the physical system.
Communication record
Retain the approved handout version, distribution dates, intended audience, delivery methods, sign concerns reported, and any acknowledgment from UCO or the County. Record who will give the current material to new residents and vendors.
System concern record
Log the exact sprinkler, valve, pipe, sign, or location, what was observed, photographs taken safely, the operator notified, and the outcome. Refer suspected cross-connections or equipment faults to the qualified operator; residents should not test or modify piping.
Regulatory requirement / local procedure DEP’s notification guidance addresses the reuse-system permittee’s responsibilities. The historical County letter’s addressee and instructions do not by themselves establish an identical reporting duty for each condominium association. Confirm the association’s part with UCO and the County.
Use the Board Synergy UCO Reporter archive to locate the November 2025 issue and read the letter in context. Obtain the current customer handout rather than treating a newspaper excerpt as the full notification package.
Connected Board Synergy guides
- Water management century village
- Common limited common elements
- Landscaping pest control
- UCO Reporter archive
- Explaining UCO: guide collection
- Who manages what?
Board Synergy provides independent educational guidance. Confirm current operator instructions and controlling documents for a specific action.