Water treatment plant will open soon to meet demands

To accelerate the startup of the Lake Region Water Treatment Plant in western Palm Beach, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has approved an emergency plan.

To help in completing the plant quickly by the end of the March, rather than August as originally planned, The SFWMD will provide $500,000 to Palm Beach County. The district will also assist Palm Beach County in getting operational certifications from various regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the state fire marshal.

Currently, the plant which has total cost $50 million is 75 percent completed. After completion, the Lake Region Water Treatment Plant is to produce high quality treated water from the Floridian Aquifer, eliminating the need for Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay to pull drinking water from Lake Okeechobee.

Water drawn from the aquifer is to be treated using reverse osmosis filter to hyper-filtrate the water, removing impurities and improving the water’s color and taste.

SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann said in a news release, “When completed, the Lake Region Water Treatment Plant will bring significant environmental and public health benefits to the region.” He further added, “With a worsening water shortage hitting these communities particularly hard, it is imperative that the plant come online as quickly as possible to reduce their dependence on the lake. This agency is committed to accelerating this project to enhance quality of life in the lake communities.”

The South Florida Water Management District is providing about 21 percent of total funding with a contribution of $11.7 million toward the plant’s design in construction. Palm Beach County (provided $12.5 million in funding, or about 25 percent) Pahokee, Belle Glade and South Bay contributed the remainder.

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