Equipped with state of the art computerized equipment and the latest in water filtration systems, the City of Fort Lauderdale is providing residents with a higher quality of drinking water  and a larger water storage facilities as a part of its Water and Wastewater Capital Improvements Program, WaterWorks 2011.

 

In May, the new $26 million Walter E. Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant started distributing drinking water to thousands of residents and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods. The plant uses the latest technology to filter, treat and generate clean, clear water for the area using a membrane technology called nanofiltration.

 

“When the plant started distributing water, residents did not notice a significant difference,” City of Fort Lauderdale’s Regional Water Facilities Manager Rick Johnson said. “There was just a slight change in color and hardness.”

 

The City decided to switch from lime softening to a more modern pressurized membrane treatment process often used to treat hard, brackish water from the Biscayne Aquifer. By using nanofiltration technology, an increasing level of contaminates are removed from the well water reducing its hardness and producing clearer water.

 

“For residents, this means that the water has less color and is softer,” Johnson explained. “People may notice that soap will lather up more when cleaning.”

 

With the installation of the membrane system, the City now has a multi-barrier system against contamination. This system operates at an 85 percent recovery rate of drinking water with only 15 percent of remaining substance going to waste. 

 

The City started the construction of the new facility in 2005 to ensure continued compliance with federal water supply guidelines. Like other cities across the country, the City’s water supply at the old plant was exposed to environmental conditions such as birds, tree frogs and other wildlife that made it vulnerable to contamination. To eliminate such atmospheric conditions and ensure it continues to comply with increasingly restrictive water regulations and standards, the City built a completely enclosed plant.

 

The new facility is adjacent to the old Peele Dixie treatment plant, which recently underwent a major preservation/renovation project at its 1500 S. State Road 7 location. The new construction project included the installation of new water mains, onsite water storage facilities, stainless steal pipes and single purpose buildings for post-treatment chemicals and emergency power generation. The two 4 million gallon finished water storage tanks provide additional capacity for periods of high demand. Future upgrades will increase the plant’s capacity to deliver up to 18 million gallons a day to the surrounding neighborhoods. Nearby cities that also use membrane treatment technologies include Hollywood, Plantation, and Sunrise.