Projects and Partners: Reclaimed Water Project to Benefit Springs

Blog note: Projects and Partners is a WaterMatters Blog series that highlights various innovative projects of the District and its partners to benefit the community.

District leaders recently helped celebrate the groundbreaking of the Crystal River to Duke Energy Reclaimed Water Project. It will provide highly treated wastewater, known as reclaimed water, from the City of Crystal River to the Duke Energy power plant facility in Citrus County. 

Ground Breaking

Infrastructure will be built to transport all reclaimed water from the City of Crystal River’s wastewater sprayfield to the Duke Energy power generation complex, located west of US Highway 19.

This project benefits the Crystal River/Kings Bay springshed and water bodies by replacing 750,000 gallons per day of valuable groundwater with reclaimed water for industrial uses at the power plant. It also will reduce the amount of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, entering the springshed by eliminating wastewater discharges applied to the city’s sprayfield.

The District is cooperatively funding the project with the City of Crystal River and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Duke Energy is providing additional funds for construction within the power plant complex.

The project is expected to be finished in early 2015.

To learn more about the District’s effort to restore area springs, visit WaterMatters.org/Springs.