Orange trees loaded with fruit serve as evidence of the benefits of reclaimed water. Citrus Foundation research concludes citrus trees grow faster, gain more canopy volume, yield and pounds of juice per acre, as more reclaimed water is applied.

Commercial and agricultural uses for reclaimed water are gaining popularity in municipalities across the country. Formerly forced to pay top dollar for fully-treated water, governments and businesses are realizing major benefits from the use of reclaimed water. And when the indirect benefits to the environment are considered, it's apparent that water reuse is no longer an attractive theory, but an environmental and economic necessity.

Many commercial and agricultural water users in the west Orange and southeast Lake counties of Florida have seen dramatic benefits since the inception of a water reclamation project 13 years ago. The project, Water Conserv II, is a cooperative venture between the City of Orlando, Orange County and the agricultural community.

With 4,000 acres of citrus, it is the largest water reuse project of its kind in the world - a combination of agricultural irrigation and Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBs) that divert water into the ground. Water Conserv II was the first water reuse project in Florida allowed to irrigate crops grown for human consumption with reclaimed water.

The Water Conserv II project is connected to Orlando's McLeod Road Water Reclamation Facility and Orange County's South Regional Water Reclamation Facility by a 21-mile transmission pipeline. This pipeline also runs to the main distribution center in west Orange County. The center distributes reclaimed water to 47 RIB sites on 1,700 acres, as well as 76 agricultural and commercial customers on a 43-mile distribution network.

The average daily reclaimed water to the distribution center is 30 million gallons per day (MGD). Sixty percent of the volume is sent to agricultural and commercial customers, and the remaining 40 percent goes into the water table via the RIBs. Storage capacity peaks at 20 million gallons and pumps stations are capable of producing a peak flow rate of 76,000 GPM. The entire distribution system is monitored and controlled by a central computerized system, whereby flow rates, line problems and pressure can be controlled automatically.

Woodard & Curran, Inc., located in Winter Garden,FL, is the contract operator of Water Conserv II. The company has a 13-year history of managing environmental fieldwork, wastewater and potable water treatment, and hazardous waste remediation all over the country. The operating personnel realized early on that the massive flow of water was only as reliable as the infrastructure that delivered it.

Nowhere was this more evident than with the flow monitoring system -145 Water Specialties flowmeters spread throughout the project. Any failures would jeopardize the credibility of the data collected by the agency, essential to determine user allotments and distribution measurements. Given the stability of the flow monitoring system, the operators of Water Conserv II are able to concentrate on what they do best: provide a valuable resource to many customers. The results have been noteworthy.

Benefits from Reclaimed Water Impressive

145 Flowmeters are used by the agency to determine user allotments and distribution measurements. Note the purple pipe to denote reclaimed water. Photos courtesy: Water Specialties, Porterville, CA.

"Research results to date from the Citrus Foundation conclude that citrus trees grow faster, gain more canopy volume, yield and pounds of juice per acre, as more reclaimed water is applied," remarks Phil Cross, project manager at Water Conserv II. "As highly-treated potable water continues to face tougher and tighter restriction by water management districts, reclaimed water becomes a very attractive alternative for irrigation."

There are other benefits. "Our agricultural customers benefit greatly from enhanced freeze and drought protection because of the high availability of water in the system," continues Cross. "Since the water is free and plentiful, growers are able to maintain higher soil moisture levels, which protects their entire crop area - not just a portion of it." Cross says citrus growers have realized increased crop yields of 10 to 30 percent and tree growth of up to 400 percent. "This means a savings of about $128 per acre per year."

While the economic benefits of reclaimed water are more immediate, the environmental pluses are numerous and significant. Because"used" water has traditionally been considered a liability instead of an asset, the success of this project counters many myths about reclaimed water.

For example, reuse eliminates the discharge of minimally-treated wastewater into surface waters such as lakes, streams and rivers. It reduces a dependence on underground water by lowering well water usage. Reuse actually replenishes the aquifer through the discharge of surplus water into rapid infiltration basins. As an added benefit, the excess water helps establish preserves for endangered and threatened plants and animals.

"There is a large influx of people moving to Florida, so we're beginning to face a water shortage here," said Cross. "We've already started to suffer from the consequences of overdrafting the aquifers in the central areas of the state. And in the coastal areas we're seeing an intrusion of seawater into our freshwater aquifers. Reclaimed water presents a very viable alternative to limit dependence on water from these sources."

Water Conserv II has proven that the application of reclaimed water for commercial and agricultural uses is a win-win situation for all concerned.

For more information contact Phil Cross at Woodard & Curran. Phone: (407) 656-2332.