Project Goals:- Augment the local water supply through aquifer recharge and M Canal augmentation
- Lessen our dependence on water from Lake Okeechobee
- Provide hydrology that maintains or enhances existing wetland ecosystems
- Reuse reclaimed water for water supply augmentation, & wetland restoration & enhancement
Project Components
- 10-mgd Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Facility
- Wetlands Reuse Site
- Wetlands Wellfield
Project Benefits
- Augments the water supply in a safe manner
- Protects surface water quality
- Meets background wetland quality
- Frees up additional water for Lake Okeechobee, Everglades Restoration and Loxahatchee Slough
- Conserves and reuses up to 30 mgd of high quality reclaimed water
- Protects and preserves approximately 2,000 acres of wetlands including melaleuca eradication
- Provides high quality source water for wetland rehydration
The Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Project Provides Numerous Levels of Treatment and Protection
- Effluent meets drinking water and public health standards
- UV disinfection
- Aquifer Recharge at Wetland Reuse Site & Standby Wellfield
- 2-years of travel time from end of pipe to discharge to the M Canal
- Additional assimilation in M Canal before WTP intake
- Treatment and filtration at WTP for drinking water distribution
- Effluent quality better than typical AWT (P target = 50 ppb)
Facility Components
- Clarification
- Deep Bed Denitrification Filtration
- Chemical Addition (FeSO4, Polymer)
- Ballasted Flocculation
- Polishing Filtration
- UV Disinfection
The WBWRP Facility receives processed effluent from the Wastewater Plant and applies additional processing that includes deep bed filtration, ballasted flocculation, polishing filters and UV light disinfection.
These processes reduce the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS,) and removes nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent. We pump this reclaimed water to the Wetland Reuse Site for rehydration of wetlands.
Wetlands Components
- 108,900 Acres of Polishing Wetlands
- Over 15,000 linear feet of boardwalks
- Over 18,000 linear feet of 36 and 24 inch transmission pipe
- 20 MGD Wetlands Transfer Pump Station
- 20 MGD Wetlands Wellfield
- Ten Monitoring Wells
 |
| Wetland boardwalks from Apoxee Trail Head (Open to the public) |
 |
Wetlands Wellfield:
We use ten existing production wells to regulate surface water levels and supplement water supplies in the Grassy Waters Preserve (aka. the Water Catchment Area) and our surface water reservoir system. Grassy Water Preserve is the twenty square mile wetlands that provide the majority of the West Palm Beach’s drinking water. Seventy five percent of our raw water comes from the preserve with the remaining twenty-five percent taken from Lake Okeechobee.
Recovered water is pumped from the Wetlands Wellfield to the M-Canal where it flows into Lake Mangonia and Clear Lake and then ultimately into the City’s Water Treatment Plant for processing. The processing journey from the Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Facility through the Wetlands Site, the Wetlands Well system and into the M-Canal has a travel time of approximately two years.
Testing
Testing is conducted both on site as the processed water is prepared for discharge to the wetlands and off site in the wetlands itself. The testing parameters are as follows:
On-Site Parameters |
Off-Site Parameters |
CBOD
COD
TSS
Total Nitrates
Ammonia-Nitrogen
Total Phosphorus
Fecal Coliform
Total Coliform
Conductivity
Hardness
Sulfide
Sulfate
BOD |
Pri. & Sec DWS
TOC
Cryptosporidium
Giardia
Whole Eff. Toxicity |
Conservation Requirements
We test reused water processed through the Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Facility prior to pumping it into the wetlands. If effluent quality is not met, the water is re-routed back through the Wastewater Plant rather than being allowed to enter the wetlands.
LEVELS OF TREATMENT AND PROTECTION
- Effluent quality better than typical Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Effluent meets drinking water and public health standards
- UV disinfection
- Aquifer recharged at Wetland Reuse Site and Standby Wellfield
- Minimum of 2-years of travel time from end of pipe to discharge to the M Canal
- Additional assimilation in the M Canal before Water Treatment Plant intake
- Treatment and filtration at Water Treatment Plant for drinking water distribution
BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
- The Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Project restores hydrologically damaged wetlands in America’s Everglades
- The project enhances natural resources and improves habitat for endangers species.
- The project enlarges the “water pie” in South Florida for both the environment and economic uses while reducing the City’s dependence on Lake Okeechobee
- The project has become a model program for sustainable communities
Project Beneficiaries
The Everglades: The Everglades and the Everglades Restoration Project are major benefactors of the Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Project, which will provide up to thirty million gallons of high quality reclaimed water per day. This supply reduces the City draw on Lake Okeechobee, making sixty to one hundred million gallons a day (MGD) available for Everglade restoration. (The 60 to 100 MGD is computed based on the fact that 70% of water we draw from the Lake is lost to evapotranspiration and seepage – the 60 to 100 MGD noted is required to meet our 30 MGD needs.)
Palm Beach County: The residence of Northern Palm Beach County, to include the City of West Palm Beach, benefit from the sustainable watershed initiative through increased water supply, flood protection and environmental restorations. The City’s water catchment area serves as the hub of this initiative.
Lake Okeechobee: Reducing the West Palm Beach draw on the Lake by 60 to 100 MGD makes more water available for other users and for the restoration of the Everglades.
Grassy Waters Nature Center: Provides an opportunity for visitors to observe, interact with, and learn from a natural South Florida ecosystem which is part of the West Palm Beach water catchment area. Visitors can participate in scheduled learning programs and/or observe the flora and fauna of the Grassy Waters bionetwork on their own.
Apoxee Trails Park: Which opened on June 21, 2004 is a continuing effort to provide educational / recreational opportunities for visitors while maintaining the functionality of the water catchment area. This dual use of this vital water supply coupled with visitation opportunities fosters an appreciation of the need for water conservation.
PROJECT RECOGNITION
2006 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Honor Award
2006 Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE) Grand Award
2007 Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) David York Reuse Award
2007 American Public Works Association (APWA-FL) Environmental Project of the Year
The Wetlands Based Water Reclamation Project is an expensive undertaking. Projects costs to date: $34,879,000. City costs to date $22,479,000 or 36% of projects costs through grants. The City of West Palm Beach wishes to thank the following for their financial support:
The Environmental Protection Agency for its generous grant of nine million eight hundred thousand dollars (9,800,000.)
The Florida Communities Trust for its generous grant of one million eight hundred thousand dollars (1,800,000.)
The South Florida Water Management District for its generous grant of eight hundred thousand (800,000.)
The East Central Region Water Reclamation Board for the land on which the project is housed, valued at ten million six hundred sixty thousand dollars (10,660,000.)
