S O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C T

The demand for water is projected to increase over the long term inSouth Florida. Urban populations, agricultural operations and theenvironment depend on adequate water supplies. Fresh ground

water and surface water will not be sufficient to satisfy all futuredemands. Meeting this growing thirst hinges on efforts to developalternative water sources. This brochure looks at one of the ways toconserve Florida’s water resources — reclaiming water for reuse.

Consider what happens to the water used insidethe home. Once down the drain, this water is pipedto the local wastewater treatment plant where itundergoes treatment to meet state standards fordisposal. Historically, most of the water wasdisposed by injecting it deep underground or bydischarging to surrounding waters or to the ocean.This is a wasteful way to treat such a valuableresource.

More and more communities are finding thatwastewater need not be wasted. They arereclaiming this water for irrigation of residentiallots, golf courses, sports fields and orange groves;industrial cooling; car washing; fire protection; andgroundwater recharge.

ON THE INSIDE

n Reclaimed water andreuse explained

n Reuse success stories

n Reuse on a regional level

n How water is reclaimed

n Purple pipes signify reclaimed water

Water Reuse:A safe and effective way to save water

Reclaimed water sign in Collier County

Reuse is also beneficial to the environment.

During times of drought, reclaimed water

is a dependable source of water because

its availability is not dependent on rainfall.

The use of reclaimed water is currently

exempt from year-round landscape

irrigation conservation measures and

emergency water shortage restrictions.

What Is Reuse?Water reuse is the use of highly treateddomestic wastewater (reclaimed water) forbeneficial purposes, such as: irrigation ofyards, agriculture, golf courses, parks andother green space; industrial purposessuch as cooling water and process water;groundwater recharge; toilet flushing; dustcontrol; and environmental restoration.Reuse reduces the reliance on groundwater, surface water and potable water.

Is It Safe to Use Reclaimed Water?Yes. The Florida Department of Health hasfound that reuse poses no threat to publichealth. Continuous monitoring ofreclaimed water, required by the FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection,ensures excellent water quality forprotection of the public and theenvironment. It is not treated fordomestic use, such as drinking,cooking or bathing.

Reuse System LocationsThe map to the left shows locationswhere reclaimed water is beingutilized within the 16-county areaof the South Florida WaterManagement District. The dotsrepresent more than 100wastewater facilities that are reusing266 million gallons per day (mgd), or31 percent of the total wastewatertreated. For now, the rest of thewastewater (590 mgd) is being sent tothe ocean or injected 3,000 feetunderground, primarily in Palm Beach,Broward and Miami-Dade counties. This iswater that could be reclaimed for reuse.

Success Stories•Pompano Beach – The city takeswastewater being piped to the ocean,treats it to a higher standard andreuses it locally for irrigatingresidential lawns, parks and golfcourses.

•Cape Coral – A reclaimed waterirrigation system serves more than38,000 residences as part of the city'sWater Independence for Cape Coral(WICC) campaign. Canal water is usedto supplement reclaimed water to meetthe 28 mgd system demand.

•Collier County – More than 18 mgdof reclaimed water is provided by 2facilities. The water is reused at almost20,000 residences, 23 golf coursesand several parks and schools.

•Orlando and Orange County – TheConserv I and Conserv II reuse systemsprovide reclaimed water to about8,000 residences, 85 parks, 12schools and 13 golf courses – inaddition to recharging the aquiferthrough rapid infiltration basins.

•Loxahatchee River District – Thissystem in Jupiter reuses more than 6mgd of reclaimed water to irrigate 14golf courses, 14 parks and 4,500residential lawns.

•Palm Beach County – The county'sWater Utilities Department providesapproximately 14 mgd of reclaimedwater to more than 6,000 residences,10 golf courses, 2 parks, and theWakodahatchee and Green Caywetlands. In addition, approximately20 mgd of reclaimed water is sent toFPL's West County Energy Center forcooling.

•Reedy Creek ImprovementDistrict – This utility providesreclaimed water for irrigation of thelandscaped areas in the Walt DisneyWorld Resort Complex. Four golfcourses, hotels, highway medians andparks are irrigated with reclaimedwater. A network of rapid infiltration

The color purple is used toidentify pumps, tanks andpipes carrying reclaimedwater for reuse. The photoabove and on the covershows a reuse facility in

Pompano Beach.

Wetland created with reclaimedwater in south Palm Beach County

Fort Myers city nursery usingreclaimed water

Groundwater recharge basins inOrlando

Freeze-proofing plants withreclaimed water in Orlando

Reclaimed water for golf courseirrigation in Palm Beach Gardens

basins is used for groundwaterrecharge. More than 6 mgd ofreclaimed water is used forgroundwater recharge and another5 mgd is used for irrigation.

Does the SFWMD Help Fund ReuseProjects?The District has provided financialassistance through the Alternative WaterSupply (AWS) grant program to localentities in developing local reuseinitiatives. The District has contributedmore than $99 million to 257 reclaimedwater projects through its annual grantprogram.

Reuse on a Regional Level• Kissimmee/Orlando Area – Thisarea has historically had a highpercentage of water reuse. The Districtis working with utilities in Orange,Osceola and Polk counties to optimizethe use of reclaimed water to offsetwithdrawals from the Floridan aquiferand avoid potential harm to thegroundwater resources.

• Collier, Lee, Martin Counties/Northern Palm Beach County –These areas have a high percentage of

reuse. The demand, especially forirrigation, has grown beyond what canreasonably be supplied by traditionalgroundwater sources and reclaimedwater sources. There is a waiting listof users for reclaimed water. Utilitiesand the District are working togetherto maximize the use of reclaimedwater. This includes interconnectingreclaimed water systems, developingsupplemental sources of water andincreasing storage.

• Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach Counties – Miami-Dade,Broward and Palm Beach countiesmake up the Lower East Coast urbancorridor. Since 2007, any increase infuture water supply needs cannotdraw from the natural system. Thesecounties have large requirements forwater reuse due to the Ocean OutfallAct that could offset the regionaldemands. This would reduce thedemand on the regional system andimprove Everglades/Lake Okeechobeerestoration efforts.

Palm Beach County has taken greatstrides with water reuse, doubling itsreuse over the last 10 years to 58mgd in 2012, or 48 percent of itswastewater flow.

Ave Maria

Boca Raton

Bonita Springs

Broward County

Clewiston

East Central Regional

(West Palm Beach)

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority

Fort Myers

Hollywood

Indiantown

LaBelle

Lee County

Marco Island

Martin County

Miami-Dade County

Miramar

Naples

North Fort Myers

Okeechobee

Port St. Lucie

St. Cloud

St. Lucie County

St. Lucie West

Sanibel

Seacoast

South Central Regional

(Boynton Beach/Delray Beach)

South Martin Regional

(Hobe Sound/Jupiter Island)

Toho Water Authority

Wellington

OTHER REUSE UTILITIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The South Florida Water Manage ment District is a regional, governmentalagency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state. It is theoldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts.

Our Mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancingand improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply.

This “Below theSurface” publicationon Water Reusedirectly supports ourmission of watersupply.

EN05/2014

South Florida Water Management District3301 Gun Club RoadWest Palm Beach, Florida 33406561-686-8800 • 800-432-2045www.sfwmd.gov

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 24680West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680

DID YOU KNOW?

n More than 127,000 residences, 199golf courses, 269 parks and 74schools are using reclaimed waterfor irrigation within theboundaries of the South FloridaWater Management District.

n Reclaimed water doesn’t smell orstain sidewalks and driveways likewell water or canal water.

n Nature is the ultimate reuser ofwater. Through what is called the“hydrologic cycle,” today's rainfallis the same water recycled overmillions and millions of years.

n An average of 725 million gallonsper day (mgd) of reclaimed wateris reused every day in Florida.About 266 mgd of this reuseoccurs within the 16-county areaof the South Florida WaterManagement District.

n Most of the reclaimed water (55%)is used for irrigation of publicareas like residences, parks,schools, medians, golf courses, etc.

n Users of reclaimed water arecurrently exempt from year-roundirrigation measures andrestrictions imposed during watershortages.

n As the population grows,wastewater flows will increase andso will the ability to produce morereclaimed water.

n Sixty-four percent of wastewatertreated in the District is inBroward and Miami-Dadecounties. Of that, only aboutfive percent is reused.

n Putting reclaimed water tobeneficial use is “Recycling at itsBest.”

– FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WATER REUSE –Rick Nevulis (561) 682-6242 or rnevul@sfwmd.gov

– FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WATER CONSERVATION –www.savewaterfl.com

How Water Is Reclaimed

Golf and SportsField Irrigation

Industrial/CommercialUses

Agricultural Irrigation

Residential/LandscapeIrrigation

Ground Water Recharge

DISINFECTIONWASTEWATERTREATMENTPLANT

FILTRATION

This diagram follows the process of turning domestic wastewater into reclaimed water forreuse. Separate pipes carry wastewater to the treatment plant where it undergoes treatment,including filtration and disinfection, before it can be distributed. Reuse eliminates thedependence on potable water, surface water or ground water for these uses.

For more information on thissubject, scan this QR codeusing a barcode reader appon your smartphone.