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Introduction/Overview Indian River County operates two water treatment facilities. Both facilities obtain raw water from the Floridan Aquifer. This raw water requires treatment in order to meet Federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. Indian River County utilizes state-o& the-art membrane technology to remove undesirable constituents, mineral impurities, and/ or organic compounds . Both the South and' North County facilities incorporate nanofiltration membranes to remove undesirable particles in the raw water such as bacteria, algea, clays, silts, cysts, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, viruses, hardness, sodium, and chlorides. Nanofiltration is a low-pressure process that also softens the water and removes disinfectant by-products . Approximately eighty percent (80 °0 ) of the groundwater obtained from the raw water well systems is recovered in the membrane process and used in the potable drinking water system . The remainder, approximately twenty percent (20 % ) of the raw water obtained from the well systems, is regulated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and termed concentrate. The concentrate flow is treated at each facility by disinfection (chlorine injection) , air injection and static mixing. Hydrogen sulfide and chlorine are removed prior to discharge to disposal . Concentrate from the South County plant is discharged to the South Relief Canal, a Class III water body, which flows into the Indian River, a Class III marine water body. The North County plant discharges directly to the Indian River, a Class III marine water body, at the County Road 510 bridge. For comparison purposes, total dissolved solids in well water and concentrate are typically 700 and 3,500 mg/ l, respectively . Salinity of the Indian River Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean are typically 20,000 and 35,000 mg/ 1, respectively. Discharges from both facilities are monitored and analyzed routinely according to FDEP permit requirements . Indian River County is currently in the process of renewing the concentrate disposal permits at both facilities . The Environmental Protection Agency has been reviewing discharges such as these and is currently formulating legislation regarding this issue . FDEP and water management districts are currently struggling with the issue throughout the state. Indian River County, in keeping with their mission statement : " to utilize all water resources in a sustainable and cost- effective manner" , authorized Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. (CDM) on December 7, 10. 99 to review current sampling efforts and investigate alternative disposal options . The County hopes that this report may result in conservation of our valuable resources . CDM' s work authorization and report are broken down as follows : Section 1 : Existing Treatment System/ Issues Section 2 : Existing Water Quality Data/ Techniques Section 3 : Alternative Disposal Options Section 4: Concentrate Team Meetings Section 5 : Recommendations CDM Camp Drewer & McKee Inc. �wxe.sxnv+oroo