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Conservation Newsletter
Public
Works & Utilities
Connection Newsletter
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Melbourne's
Reclaimed Water
Reclaimed water, or reuse, is highly treated wastewater effluent that
has been treated and disinfected. Reuse water is ideal for many non-drinking water
applications such as landscape and crop irrigation, dust control and other similar uses.
Reuse is beneficial in several regards. It provides an environmentally-sound means of
effluent disposal and its application can take the place of non-essential uses of drinking
water. Melbourne is taking advantage of these benefits by the construction and expansion
of a reuse system utility. The City currently distributes up to 35 percent of its total
daily wastewater treatment plant flow to its reuse customers. The City has tentative plans
to distribute 100 percent by 2015.
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Reclaimed Water
Quality |
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Like drinking water, reclaimed, or reuse water
also must undergo extensive testing by laboratory technicians to ensure the
quality of this recycled product. Comparison
tables are provided below with details of the maximum
contamination levels as set forth by the federal Environmental Protection
Agency, and rates how the reclaimed water produced at both City plants meets
those guidelines. All values are given in milligrams per liter (mg/L).
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Two City Plants
Produce 2.5 Million Gallons Per Day |
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While a relatively tiny amount of reuse water is needed to feed the new pond at the
plant, a very large quantity is produced to serve the needs of the plant's distribution
service area. The D.B. Lee Water Reclamation Facility
has a production capacity of 4.0 million gallons per day. The smaller Grant
Street Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at the south end of the city, has
0.5 million gallons per day of reuse production capacity. The north reuse service area
distribution system serves a variety of municipal, residential and commercial customers in
north Melbourne. Approximately 30 miles of reuse mains distribute reuse to City parks,
roadway medians, the operational areas of the Melbourne International Airport and the
Harbor City Golf Course. In addition, more than 70 commercial and residential customers
are served by the reuse system. Peak customer demand often exceeds reuse distribution
capacity during dry periods. Production and distribution enhancements are part of the
master expansion plan.
The south reuse service area distribution system serves the Melbourne
Municipal Golf Course only. A reuse force main extends from the Grant Street plant to the
0.35 million gallon reuse storage tank at the golf course. The golf course has an
irrigation demand in excess of 0.5 million gallons per day, so there is currently not
enough reuse production capacity to serve additional customers in the service area.
Capacity will be expanded in the future so that additional customers can be served. The
improvements are programmed as part of a master wastewater treatment plant expansion plan. |
Pond Demonstrates
Viability of Reclaimed Water
at the D.B. Lee Water Reclamation Facility
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