Florida Water Geek

  The Water Distribution System Once the water has been treated to meet all federal, state, and local regulations for drinking water, it is pumped into storage tanks . Storage allows for fluctuations in water usage and holds enough water for emergencies and fire protection. Some of these are ground storage tanks and others may be elevated tanks (water towers). Elevated tanks not only store water, but help to regulate pressure in the system.  Pumps then send drinking water into the water distribution system . Pumps provide pressure in the system, usually around 60 to 75 pounds per square inch (psi), allowing water to flow into buildings throughout the community.  Note that in Florida, a measurable disinfectant (chlorine or chloramine) must be added to the water just before entering the distribution system. A minimum chlorine residual of 0.2 parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L) must be maintained throughout the system - to the furthest point from the water tr...

  Want to hear more about water? Water podcasts are becoming more popular.  Here are several that include interesting interviews and news about water tech, current events, and more: WATERSPOUT The St. Johns River Water Management District created WATERSPOUT as a way to let you hear directly from us about Florida’s water resources. You’ll hear from our staff members about the work they do each day and how that work benefits our shared water resources. We’ll delve into important topics affecting our region’s water, what the District is doing and what you can do to help preserve and protect water. Making Waves with FWEA Making Waves is the Florida Water Environment Association's (FWEA's) exploration of our water environment and the impactful actions of our water professionals. Interviews with water professionals from around the state, and even the world bring insight and understanding to our water challenges. Words on Water This podcast is produced by the Water Environment F...

  What is Reclaimed Water? You may have seen signs at a park or landscaping around a public building that say "Irrigated with Reclaimed Water." You may even use reclaimed water to irrigate your own lawn. So, what exactly is it--and how can we use it? Basically, reclaimed water is treated and disinfected wastewater that can be reused for beneficial purposes. Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) defines reclaimed water as "water that has received at least secondary treatment and basic disinfection and is reused after flowing out of a domestic wastewater facility."  (For an explanation of levels of treatment see the post on Wastewater Treatment). Reclaimed water must meet extremely stringent FDEP requirements. Strict permitting and operating protocols must be followed. These include operator certification, monitoring and testing; reporting; setback distances, signage, and more. What is Reuse? Florida is a national leader when it comes to water re...

How are contaminants removed from wastewater? Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Water Reclamation Facilities, and Water Resource Recovery Facilities Water used in our homes and businesses flows through the wastewater collection system  to a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) , also called Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)   if  owned by a state or local government, which many are. Water Reclamation Facilities (WRFs) are those  that provide advanced treatment, cleaning the water to a higher level to produce reclaimed water. Reclaimed water can be reused for irrigation, cooling towers, wetlands enhancement or other uses.  Image by  Michal Jarmoluk  from  Pixabay Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) take things a step further by extracting valuable materials from wastewater, such as creating biogas from excess biolsolids that can be used for energy. WRRFs may also recover valuable metals or nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to be use...