A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Zephyrhills will expand the use of reclaimed water in Zephyhills.
The project includes the construction of approximately 6,000 feet of transmission and distribution line from an existing reclaimed water transmission line to irrigate landscaping along the city’s streets.
This project will provide approximately 8,000 gallons per day (gpd) of reclaimed water for irrigation, which is expected to offset about 6,000 gpd of potable water.
This cooperatively funded effort is expected to cost $120,000. The District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board will contribute up to $50,000 for this project. The project will also receive $20,000 from the state’s Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund.
Construction is scheduled to begin in December and is expected to be complete by January 2011.
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.