Water Treatment Plant #1
The original treatment plant construction was completed in 1972 with a design flow capacity of 6 million gallons per day and included a softening basin, lime feed system , and a starch feed system for coagulation aid. It also featured a raw water and a finished water chlorinator, three filters, the administration and high service pump building, that included high service pump No. 3 with a variable speed drive. One 2 million gallon ground storage tank, and two lime sludge drying beds also were at the site.
This initial work was followed by an improvement project in 1975 that added the recarbonation basin, the washwater recovery basin, filter media replacement, and additional high service pump capacity, with an auxiliary diesel engine for emergency high service pumping.
The third major improvement project was begun in 1985. This project included the installation of high service pumps No. 2 and No. 4 and brought well No. 3 into production.
The last major improvement project was completed in 1989 and included the addition of softening basin No. 2, pump and motor for well No. 4, ground storage tank No. 2. and a hydrofluosilicic acid (fluoride) storage tank with a containment pit. A polymer feed system was also added replacing the original starch system. This brought our design flow capacity up to 20 million gallons per day. A third sludge drying lagoon was constructed in 1994.
Prior to construction of the treatment plant at N. E. 36th Ave., the city was supplied with water from a plant in the area where the City Hall Annex is presently located. However, while the treatment facilities no longer exist, the pumping and storage elements are still operational and serve the City as a storage and repump facility.1.5 million gallons of water are stored in these tanks for additional fire protection and to boost distribution pressure in the immediate area as needed.
In 2001, this treatment facility was rerated through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for a higher capacity of 24.42 MGD. This rerating in conjunction with water conservation efforts should allow the design and construction of an additional water treatment plant to be delayed for several years.
The department has also constructed an 5.0 MGD Emergency Well to supplement the water system in emergencies. This site is also designated as the location of the next water treatment plant which is scheduled to be constructed as a 10.0 MGD (million gallon per day) facility, with an expansion capability to 20.0 MGD, around 2018.
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