Palmetto officially opens long-awaited $4.2 million ARS well to store reclaimed water

PALMETTO -- Palmetto residents frustrated with a lack of water for irrigation during dry weather will now have access to about 2.4 million gallons of reclaimed wastewater.

The city Aquifer Recovery and Storage well, with an ultraviolet cleansing system, is one of five in the state using UV technology to kill bacteria. The city began testing the system to meet Florida Department of Environmental standards last summer, and officials expected testing to take about year. A couple of months ahead of schedule, city officials, FDEP, Southwest Florida Water Management District and other agency representatives celebrated the well being in operation Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"It's a tremendous celebration today," said Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, who said the system will serve 50 percent of city water customers with room for growth, as the city adds reclaimed water lines. "A lot of people, past employees and city commissions, have worked for a long time to make this happen."

The city spent $2.1 million on the well, with the water district contributing the balance of the $4.2 million. SWFWMD Executive Director Robert Beltran said long-term goals are to reuse 75 percent of reclaimed water.

"Palmetto is already exceeding that at 84 percent," said Beltran.

Bryant said the city investment is a triple win. It will substantially increase reclaimed water use by residents, saving the city treatment costs and eliminating discharge into Terra Ceia Bay.

The city storage capacity for treated wastewater had been limited. Millions of gallons of excess water a year had to be discharged into the bay due to a lack of storage. The cycle would have heavy use during dry periods, forcing it to implement water restrictions, and then heavy rain periods would fill the existing above-ground tank to the point of having to discharge water.

Now, excess treated water can be safely pumped into the ARS well for storage. Public Works Director Allen Tusing said the permit allows the city to use 2.4 million gallons a day for customers, which is more than enough even during the dry season. The well can could easily handle an additional 600,000 gallons of water. Brett Taylor, a city-contracted wastewater project manager for Veolia, said the city's future is bright.

"This provides opportunities for the city to expand its horizons," he said.

Tusing said the city has been pumping water into the well with more than 1 million gallons already stored thanks to recent heavy rains. The increase in reclaimed water does not affect city drinking water, which is on a different system.

Palmetto's drinking water will continue to be pumped into the city by Manatee County.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter@urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published June 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Palmetto officially opens long-awaited $4.2 million ARS well to store reclaimed water ."