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DATE : NOVEMBER 17, 2000 <br /> TO : JAMES E . CHANDLER <br /> COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR <br /> FROM : DONALD R. HUBBS, P.E. —� <br /> DIRECTOR OF UTILLTYT—: 91� <br /> PREPARED MICHAEL C . HOTCHKISS, P.E. <br /> AND STAFFED ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER <br /> BY : DEPARTMENT OF UTILITY SERVICES <br /> SUBJECT: ST, JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT <br /> ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY GRANT APPLICATION FOR <br /> REDUCTION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE INTO THE <br /> INDIAN RIVER LAGOON <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> Reverse Osmosis (R.0) Treatment Facilities cleanse water by separating dissolved minerals and <br /> other undesirable particles from the deep ground (Floridan Aquifer) water through the use of filtering <br /> membranes. The reject water, or "concentrate" is then discharged as non-Publicly-Owned- <br /> Treatment-Works (POTW) industrial wastewater into the Indian River Lagoon. The Department of <br /> Environmental Protection (DEP) has put increasing pressure on permittees of R.O. Treatment <br /> Facilities to eliminate concentrate discharge into the Lagoon, which is classified as an Outstanding <br /> Florida Water (OFW). Presently, the Department of Utility Services has two ILO. facilities with <br /> concentrate discharges into the Lagoon, one directly into the OFW. On December 7, 1999 the Board <br /> of County Commissioner; authorized the County' s water treatment continuing services consultant <br /> Camp Dresser and McKee, Inc. (CDM) to develop alternatives for disposal of R.O. concentrate. The <br /> report was presented to the County' s Utility Advisory Committee on June 1 `, 2000 and has since been <br /> finalized (see attached exerpts). <br /> Each year St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) allocates funds appropriated by <br /> the federal government to assist public and private entities to develop ways of providing alternative <br /> water supplies for various uses. In 1997 and 1998, Indian River County was successful in obtaining <br /> $75,000.00 and $ 100,000.00, respectively, to help fund construction of the North County R. O. <br /> Facility (NCRO). This year SJRWMD has $500,000.00 available for funding alternative water <br /> sources throughout their district. <br /> The Departmentof Utility Services is exploring several altematives outlined in CDM ' s report, a new <br /> R.O. membrane process that will reduce the amount of concentrate discharge from the NCRO, <br /> mixing a portion of the concentrate with reclaimed water and using another portion to produce liquid <br /> chlorine bleach for disinfecting wastewater. <br /> The Department of Utility Services is requesting the Board Of County Commissioners to authorize <br /> applying for the grant, with a tentative commitment of matching funds to implement the pilot project. <br /> ANALYSIS <br /> Grant applications will be submitted to SJRWMD for two projects. One project will involve <br /> supplementing reclaimed water with concentrate for irrigation purposes . The second project will <br /> comprise adding 'a third stage to the R. O. process to extract additional potable water and reduce the <br /> quantity of concentrate discharged to the OFW (see attached grant applications). <br /> DECEMBER 59 2000 BK 1 16 PG 315 <br /> - 73 - <br />