The Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department recently began
construction on a new three-million gallon per day (MGD) reclaimed water facility in
Century Village of West Palm Beach.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), under the
leadership of Chairman Kevin McCarty, has awarded the Palm Beach County Water
Utilities Department $1,000,000 toward the construction cost of the facility,
estimated at $5,000,000. The grant falls specifically under the Alternative Water
Supply Funding for 2007, a progressive-thinking program to help protect our
water supply and ensure safe water for future generations. This fund allows
the County Water Utilities Department to increase the alternative water supply while
continuing to provide the best quality water at the best rates. The Century Village
Reclaimed Water Production Facility is one of 13 alternative water projects in the
Lower east coast being funded in part by the South Florida Water Management
District's Alternative Water Supply Grant Program.
Commissioner Jeff Koons, the district commissioner for the Century
Village area, has been instrumental in supporting environmental preservation and
safety of the water supply for Century Village residents. "We are fortunate to have a combination of funding and know-how to make this kind of technology possible
throughout Palm Beach County. This community will benefit greatly from the partnership
of the South Florida Water Management District and Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department. Irrigation with reclaimed water is a cost-effective way to protect the
environment and preserve the water supply for our growing population," Commissioner
Koons stated.
Reclaimed water is recycled water that has been treated, filtered and
disinfected. The treatment process eliminates harmful substances, but leaves traces of
nitrogen and phosphorous that act as fertilizers when reclaimed water is applied to lawns
and landscapes. When completed, the new Century Village North Reclaimed Water
Production Facility will provide supplemental irrigation water to Century Village of West
Palm Beach as well as to the nearby Vista Center.
The United Civic Organization, the master homeowners association for the
Century Village Community, will use 750,000 gallons of reclaimed water daily from the
facility to maintain levels in private lakes in the community that are used to irrigate 100
acres of common landscaped area. The benefits to the residents are far reaching. Not only
is this a cost-saving measure for the community, but it improves the esthetics of the lakes
and is a necessary step in environmental conservation. Reclaimed water is more affordable
than drinking water for irrigation purposes, and allows more drinking water to be available
to the population. More importantly, it helps to recharge the ground water that eventually trickles down into the aquifer, the source of the County's drinking water.
Completion of the facility is scheduled for summer of 2007.
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