SFWMD celebrates Water Reuse Week

• South Florida Water Management District is among the nation's most progressive agencies in promoting and funding water reuse projects

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Sept. 11, 2007 -- In collaboration with Florida Governor Charlie Crist, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) proclaimed Sept. 9-15 Water Reuse Week in South Florida.

Water reuse is an integral part of the District's water conservation program and a vital alternative source of water for the State of Florida. Currently, Florida leads the nation by reusing 660 million gallons of reclaimed water each day to conserve freshwater supplies and replenish our rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

To assist entities in implementing water reuse, the District and the State of Florida invested $24.6 million over the past two years to fund 71 water reuse projects through the District's Alternative Water Supply Funding Program. These projects added 93 million gallons per day of reclaimed water capacity to the regional supply. Since the program's inception in 2005, 135 alternative water supply projects totaling $83 million have been funded through this grant program.

Water reuse is the beneficial use of highly treated domestic wastewater, also known as reclaimed water. Reclaimed water can be used in many ways, including for irrigation of yards, agriculture, golf courses and other green space; ground water recharge; environmental enhancement; and industrial uses, such as cooling water and process water. Reuse conserves water by reducing reliance on ground water, surface water and potable water and replenishes valuable water supplies while providing an environmentally sound means for managing wastewater.

Water Reuse is a common-sense way to offset potable water use and accommodate the water demands of a growing South Florida economy. More than 100 water reuse systems throughout South Florida currently produce more than 230 million gallons of reclaimed water each day -- the equivalent of nearly 15,000 residential swimming pools. This water is used to irrigate hundreds of golf courses and thousands of residential lots as well as to provide environmental enhancement and recharge of regional water resources across the District's 16 counties.

"As much as 50 percent of all urban potable water in South Florida is used for landscape irrigation," said SFWMD Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle. "Reclaimed water is a valuable resource that may one day account for the vast majority of the water we use on our landscapes and athletic turf. We must continue to pursue greater implementation of water reuse to meet our water needs and reduce the disposal of this resource."

To see water reuse in action in South Florida, please visit Palm Beach County's Green Cay and Wakodahatchee Wetlands, where reclaimed water is used to enhance the natural environment.

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state -- 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys.

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