The city of Port Orange, Florida has some innovative ways of dealing with their water after using it once. Rather than just sending it on its way somewhere else as quickly as possible, they send it into human-made lakes for further cleansing, and for later non-drinking usage.
The reservoir outfall and filtration project addresses concerns about groundwater withdrawals during the dry season and discharges to the Indian River Lagoon during the wet season. The new facility increases reuse utilization, virtually eliminates effluent discharge to the IRL and enhances aquifer recharge. Effluent from the facility is primarily directed to reclaimed water and/or the 175-acre reservoirs on the city’s central recharge area wellfield property. Treated stormwater is also transferred to storage. The reclaimed water reservoir satisfies seasonal demand variations and rehydrates adjacent wetlands.
The design enables recovery of up to 2 mgd of water on a continuous basis. The project furnishes about 1 mgd of additional irrigation water supply annually. Annual recharge is estimated at 0.8 mgd. Remote monitoring and control from the wastewater treatment plant reduces staffing requirements. The existing system, which can be expanded by an additional 2 mgd, is part of a regional effort to achieve water quality goals and reduce groundwater withdrawals. The city obtained a $2.38 million Florida Forever grant to supplement the funding of this project.