11/15/2016 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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As many residents know, County drinking water is supplied from wells, which draw water from the Floridian Aquifer. The majority of County water is processed at the North County Reverse Osmosis Treatment plant. A byproduct of the reverse osmosis treatment process is demineralization concentrate, also known as brine. Basically water is drawn from the aquifer, goes through the reverse osmosis process, undesirable minerals and salts are removed, the potable water is sent to our water customers and the brine concentrate is disposed of. Roughly 20% of what is drawn from the aquifer ends up as brine concentrate. For years this concentrate was simply put into a canal, which led to the Indian River Lagoon through the North Relief Canal. In 2002, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) asked the County to come up with an alternative discharge method for the brine concentrate. The most obvious solution, one chosen by the.COVB for its brine, was to construct a deep injection well to dispose of the brine by pumping it back into the aquifer. The County chose a much more innovative method of disposal, the Spoonbill Marsh, which would create a wetland from an old mosquito impoundment site adjacent to an abandoned citrus grove, both of which were being overrun by invasive species such as pepper trees. When FDEP discussed the project with the County, FDEP was clear that any permit would require that the project clearly demonstrate a "Net Environmental Positive Benefit". This net benefit would require not only that the treated water entering the Lagoon be cleaner than the existing water in the Lagoon, but also demonstrate a net increase in wildlife populations including birds and fish and other marine life. The Spoonbill Marsh is located on a 67 -acre parcel of land owned by the Grand Harbor Development from which the County received a perpetual easement. It is bordered by the Lagoon to the east, the Grand Harbor Development and North relief Canal to the South, undeveloped Grand Harbor land to the west and an undeveloped parcel of conservation land owned by the Indian River Land Trust to the north. The Land Trust property and the Spoonbill Marsh are separated by a FDOT ditch, which drains water from U.S. 1. The Spoonbill Marsh process, while innovative, is fairly simple. The brine concentrate from the Water Treatment Plant is piped to mixing areas located on the western portion of the Spoonbill Marsh. Polluted Lagoon ,20-9