The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board today approved a modification that increases the amount of water Haines City can withdraw per day.
The modification increased the citys permitted withdrawals from 3.83 million gallons per day (mgd) to 5.71 mgd. The increases are needed because of an increase in population.
Nine wells are associated with this modified permit. Two of the wells are currently agricultural wells and will be retrofitted for public supply use. The majority of the permitted increase comes from the conversion of agricultural use to public supply.
The city is required to continue to maintain existing flow meters on the wells identified in the permit and to provide monthly meter readings to the District. Haines City is also required to promote irrigation conservation, seek out additional alternative water supply sources such as reclaimed water, initiate an approved Environmental Monitoring Plan, and adjust withdrawal quantities based on the results of the environmental monitoring.
Haines City currently provides reclaimed water to 14 major customers. At this time, the city’s wastewater treatment plant is only taking in 50 percent of the wastewater it is designed to hold and process. The city plans to increase the volume of wastewater it takes in, and the volume of reclaimed water it distributes to its customers.
Reclaimed water is wastewater that has received at least secondary treatment and is used for a beneficial purpose, such as irrigation. By offsetting demand for ground water and surface water, this alternative, non-traditional water source reduces stress on environmental systems, provides economic benefits by delaying costly water system expansions, and eliminates the need to discharge wastewater effluent to surface waters.