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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1360 |
| Lake Worth Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Disposal Well |
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| Requester: |
Samy Faried, P.E. Utilities Director |
Organization: |
City of Lake Worth |
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| Project Title: |
Lake Worth Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Disposal Well |
Date Submitted |
1/3/2008 2:54:15 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Atwater |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Regional Water Supply Enhancement |
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| Recipient: |
City of Lake Worth |
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Contact: |
Samy Faried |
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1900 2nd Avenue North |
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Contact Phone: |
(561) 586-1670 |
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Lake Worth 33461 |
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Contact email: |
sfaried@lakeworth.org |
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| Counties: |
Palm Beach |
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| Gov't Entity: |
Yes |
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
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| Project Description: |
| Overview
Over the last five years, the City of Lake Worth has conducted an extensive analysis of its ten-year water supply and water treatment needs. This analysis resulted in the development of an Alternative Water Supply Program to meet present and future water supply needs, and to comply with future and more stringent water quality standards. Once implemented, Lake Worth�s Alternative Water Supply Program will be consistent with the recommendations of the South Florida Water Management District�s (�SFWMD�) Lower East Coast Regional Water Plan by significantly reducing demands on the surficial aquifer and creating a sustainable water supply for the City�s future needs. Lake Worth has made a major financial commitment to its Alternative Water Supply Program by selling water revenue bonds to finance the program and continues to aggressively pursue completion of the program.
The original Alternative Water Supply Program for the City of Lake Worth did not include a deep injection well (DIW) for concentrate disposal. Instead the program anticipated disposal of the concentrate (a clear, salty solution with an ammonia content of less than 3 mg/l) through the City�s existing but currently unused ocean outfall. The City applied for and received a draft NPDES Permit from FDEP for discharge of concentrate into 92 feet deep ocean 5,200 feet offshore. Unfortunately during the public comment period of the permitting process FDEP reversed its position and has indicated it prefers not to issue the discharge permit. This change of direction has added an unanticipated $9 million in costs to an already expensive program. The anticipated cost of the DIW was not included and is not available through the City�s current bond issue.
Complete implementation of all of the Alternative Water Supply Program components will cost approximately $40,000,000, with the major component being the full-scale reverse osmosis (�RO�) water treatment plant. The City of Lake Worth intends to have the Reverse Osmosis Treatment facility constructed on or before March 1, 2010. The injection well needs to be completed before the RO facility can go online. The anticipated construction costs associated with each component of the DIW system are listed below.
DIW Components Probable Construction Cost Requested Funding
Project No. 1-Injection Well Design, Permitting and Construction
$7,000,000
$3,000,000
Project No. 2-Dual Zone Monitoring Well & Injection Well System Surface Facilities
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
Although the City�s water customers and the environment will benefit in many ways from the Alternative Water Supply Program, the Program will result in increased water rates for water customers due to the debt service on the revenue bonds used to finance the program. Grant funding for these DIW components will have a positive impact on future rates for the City�s water customers by offsetting the amount of debt service incurred by the Program.
Based on a total construction cost for the two DIW projects of $9,000,000, the City of Lake Worth requests 45% grant funding for these components in the total amount of $4,000,000.
Background
Lake Worth�s ten-year water supply and water treatment needs analysis identified potential adverse impacts of regulatory agency action on the City�s existing water supply and treatment system, and evaluated various water supply and treatment alternatives to meet the City�s present and future needs. Based on this analysis, the City of Lake Worth adopted its Alternative Water Supply Program to reduce the demand on the surficial aquifer. The Program consists of the development of a Floridan aquifer wellfield, an RO water treatment plant, and all related improvements necessary for implementation of this Program.
Lake Worth�s Alternative Water Supply Program is being undertaken primarily to reduce the withdrawal demands on the surficial aquifer that in turn will reduce or eliminate the potential for saltwater intrusion.
The following completed studies have indicated a substantial need for this project:
� Safe Drinking Water Act Planning Study, May 2001
� Water Supply & Treatment Evaluation Report, March 2002
� Water Supply & Treatment Evaluation Report Update, March 2003
� Water Supply Evaluation Report-Palm Beach County Options vs. Reverse Osmosis Options, August 2003
� Surficial Aquifer Wellfield Needs Evaluation, February 2004, revised August 2004
� WTP Site Master Planning Report, December 2004
The objectives of the City�s Alternative Water Supply Program are as follows:
� Reduce the risk of salt water intrusion in the surficial aquifer. SFWMD�s Lower East Coast Regional Water Supply Plan has identified Lake Worth as an �at risk� community for saltwater intrusion. Reducing surficial aquifer withdrawals will reduce or eliminate the risk of saltwater intrusion.
� Provide adequate water supply. Lake Worth�s existing SFWMD Consumptive Use Permit (�CUP�) surficial allocation of 7.57 MGD (average daily flow) will not meet the City�s ten-year projected raw water demands of 9.6 MGD (average daily flow), with peak day demands of 13.7 MGD. The Floridan Wellfield and RO plant will subsidize potable water production from the surficial aquifer to meet projected demands while allowing for an improvement in the quality of the product water delivered to customers.
� Develop new wellfield. SFWMD has stated that it will reduce the City�s surficial water allocation in its eastern wells to reduce or eliminate the potential for saltwater intrusion. The City has performed a cost analysis indicating that it is more economical to develop Floridan aquifer wells than to develop a new western surficial wellfield to meet future demands.
� Minimize impacts to surrounding water supply. Development of a Floridan aquifer wellfield will have little impact, if any, on other area surficial aquifer or surface water uses.
� Reduce surficial aquifer demands. Development of a Floridan aquifer wellfield could reduce the City�s withdrawals from the surficial aquifer by almost a billion gallons per year.
Alternative Water Supply Program
Lake Worth�s Alternative Water Supply Program includes construction of three Floridan aquifer wells rated at approximately 1500 GPM each. The three Floridan aquifer wells will supply 6.0 MGD of raw water to produce 4.5 MGD of RO permeate, assuming a 75% recovery rate. The 1.5 MGD difference is attributed to concentrate (waste) which requires safe and proper disposal. In addition to the Floridan aquifer wellfield, the Program includes construction of an expandable RO treatment plant initially equipped with three 1.5 MGD RO treatment skids. The current Program is designed to produce 4.5 MGD (peak day) of finished water.
Once implemented, Lake Worth�s Alternative Water Supply Program will greatly reduce surficial aquifer demands. By using Floridan aquifer raw water to produce an average daily flow of 3.0 MGD (4.5 MGD peak day), the City�s surficial allocation, as specified in the SFWMD CUP at the time of completion of these improvements, will be reduced to 5.5 MGD (finished water average daily flow). Therefore, the Alternative Water Supply Program will provide approximately 35% of the City�s total system capacity when construction is complete.
Future Alternative Water Supply Programs
The City of Lake Worth has plans for future phases of the RO water treatment plant, if and when necessary, based on future water demand needs. These future additions could ultimately result in Lake Worth constructing additional Floridan aquifer wells to provide treatment capacity for a total 9.0 MGD of finished RO water. Lake Worth has received approval for a 20-year CUP for future withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer. |
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Disposal of reverse osmosis concentrate to reduce surficial aquifer demands. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$3,000,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$7,000,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Construction |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
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Cash Amount |
$4,000,000 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$1,000,000 |
To Fund: |
Construction |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
Unknown |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Lake Worth City Commission |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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Yes |
| Is the project eligible under section 403.885(2),F.S. to protect public health or the environment; and implement plans developed pursuant to the Surface Water Improvement and Management Act created in part IV of Chapter 373,F.S., other water restoration plans required by law, management plans prepared pursuant to 2.403.067,F.S., or other plans adopted by local government for water quality improvement and water restoration? |
Yes |
| Is your project addressed in a state, regional or local plan (such as a SWIM Plan, Comprehensive Plan, Local Master Plan, etc.)? |
No |
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| Are requesting funding for a stormwater, surface water restoration, or other water management project? |
No |
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| Are you requesting funding for a wastewater project? |
No |
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| Are you requesting funding for a drinking water project? |
Yes |
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| Have you received or applied for funding for this project from DEP's State Revolving Fund (SRF) program under section 403.8532,F.S.? |
No |
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| Is the project under construction? |
No |
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| Have you provided a match? |
Yes |
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Amount: |
4000000 |
Source: |
Revenue Bond Issue |
