A project funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Englewood Water District will bring reclaimed water to residents who live in the Stillwater subdivision.
The project includes the construction of 4,379 linear feet of six-inch reclaimed water transmission main line and the necessary valves and controllers to connect the Stillwater subdivision to the Englewood Reuse System.
The Stillwater subdivision is currently under development. The 91 homes built in the first phase of construction use stormwater runoff from a pond and groundwater to irrigate their lawns. There will be 251 homes when the development is complete.
This project will provide approximately 103,400 gallons per day (gpd) of reclaimed water for irrigation for the completed subdivision. The project is expected to offset about 51,700 gpd of potable water. According to the Englewood Water District, residents will use reclaimed water and stormwater runoff for all of their irrigation needs, which will completely offset the need for groundwater.
This cooperatively funded effort between Englewood and the District’s Manasota Basin Board is estimated to cost $271,582. Each agency will contribute $113,793. The project will receive an additional $43,996 from the state’s Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund. Construction is scheduled to begin this May and is expected to be complete by the end of September.
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.