Palmetto takes next step toward reuse water expansion

PALMETTO -- It's been a goal of the city of Palmetto since the 1990s to reduce and eventually eliminate water discharge from the wastewater plant into Terra Ceia Bay, as well as to reduce using drinking water for irrigation.

The city has made progress toward those goals as of late and took the latest step in pursuing a loan from the state to expand the wastewater plant and extend reclaimed water lines to more of the city's residents. On Monday, officials unanimously approved the plans to move the project forward during a public hearing, a requirement by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to apply for its Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan.

Palmetto is seeking to borrow $500,000 to expand reclaimed water lines to three more areas of the city:

Neighborhoods bounded within 20th Avenue West, 10th Street West, 14th Avenue West and Seventh Street West.

Neighborhoods bounded within 14th Avenue West, Sixth Street West, 11th Avenue West and Riverside and Rosslyn drives.

Neighborhoods bounded within 14th Avenue West, 17th Street West, 10th Avenue West and 10th Street West.

Public works superintendant Javier Vargas said the city is currently only serving about 54 percent of its customers with reclaimed water for irrigation purposes. He said the $500,000 line expansion would serve about 200 more people with the goal to eventually serve the entire city, but it will take time with a projected spending of

about $250,000 per year of Capital Improvement Projects funding.

The current system covers 82 acres of golf course irrigation, 4,700 acres of residential irrigation and Dickenson Nursery. The system delivers 1 million gallons of reclaimed water per day, which is cleaned and treated wastewater. Residential use is the majority with 800,000 gallons per day. Once a neighborhood has access to reclaimed water, existing irrigation wells can still be used, but rehabilitation and installation of new wells will be prohibited. Benefits, officials say, are to decrease surface water discharges into the bay, decrease use of potable water, reduce the number of well users, thereby reducing the amount of groundwater used for irrigation.

The city also will apply for $3.9 million to build a new equalization basin at the plant, which is designed to eliminate the typical peaks and flows of operating a wastewater plant. Public Works Director Allen Tusing said that around 7 a.m., flows go from almost nothing to 1.7 million gallons. Flows fluctuate daily from 1.2 million gallons to 1.7 million until dinner and tapers off around 10:30 p.m. where it declines to about 100,000.

The expansion encompasses a 2 million gallon equalization above-ground basin that will create the ability for the plant to operate on a continuous steady flow and save the city in electricity and use of chemicals. City Clerk Jim Freeman said it's essentially two separate projects, both of which were approved in the public works CIP's five-year plan this past budget cycle.

"The loan is accounted for in the rate study we did, which showed we would need a loan for these projects due to the size and cost of the projects, but the revenues over the course of the 20-year loan term from the rate study will cover that expense," said Freeman.

The city recently celebrated the installation of a $4.2 million Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well, funded in part by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The ASR well has a 2 million gallon capacity, which also is expected to reduce discharge into the bay from the city's 8 million gallon reservoir. If successful, construction on the wastewater plant could begin by the end of 2017.

In other business Monday, Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency Director Jeff Burton announced that the rock band SmashMouth will headline this year's annual July Fourth Festival in Sutton Park.

The multi-platinum band formed in 1994 and produced top-1- singles like "Then the Morning Comes," "All-Star", and "Can't Get Enough of you Baby," from their second album "Astrolounge," but that was after their debut album "Fush You Mang" went double platinum.

SmashMouth's rock reputation transferred to Hollywood, where the band showed their creative talent by producing much of the music for the hit "Shrek," and has showcased their support for troops serving overseas by performing in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

The band features founding members Steve Harwell and Paul DeLisle along with keyboardist Mike Klooster who has been part of the SmashMouth tradition for the past 17 years. Guitarist Sean Hurwitz and dummer Jason Sutter solidify the band's 2016 line-up.

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

This story was originally published May 2, 2016 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Palmetto takes next step toward reuse water expansion ."