Purple Rain Education Program
Water Reuse Systems of
Pasco County
Para la traduccíon al español, marque aqui.
- The Power of Purple
- Reclaimed is a Resource
- How to Use Reclaimed Water More Efficiently
- By Using Reclaimed Water You Can...
- Reclaimed Water Distribution
- Pasco's Reuse System
- West Pasco County Reuse System
- Central Pasco County Reuse System
- East Pasco County Reuse System
- Pasco's Purple Past and Present
- Do Your Part
- For Further Information
|
Reclaimed water is household wastewater that is treated and
filtered for reuse. the process to recover, clean, distribute
and use reclaimed water is called reuse. Reclaimed water is
not different from drinking water in appearance or smell, but it
contains more nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, making it
ideal for irrigation. Even though reclaimed water has
different uses, it is not safe to drink and must not be used for
bathing, swimming pools, washing vehicles or irrigating vegetables.
In Pasco County, reclaimed water is distributed to residential
communities to irrigate golf courses, sports fields, corporate
landscapes and even your lawn. It's Pasco's own
Purple Rain!
|
|
Currently, there is a "shortage" of available reclaimed water in
Central and East Pasco County because of the number of homes that
are connected to the Pasco County Reuse System and the limited
amount of reclaimed water currently produced. Some residents
over-use their reclaimed water. At other instances, especially
during the dry season, numerous lawns are irrigated at the same
time, which creates a very large demand. This often leads to a
shortage or insufficient pressure in the system. It can be
compared to "rush hour" traffic and the large number of cars on the
freeway trying to get off at the same exit. Pasco county has developed watering schedules, new pipelines and facilities that will help to fix this problem. But we need your help. By using reclaimed water more efficiently, we can avoid shortages and system pressure problems. It will take cooperation and commitment from everyone in order to have a more effective and efficient reuse system. Top |
|
|
| Reuse Type | Permitted Capacity | 2002 Usage |
| Golf Course Irrigation | 8.0 | 3.3 |
| Residential Irrigation | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Other Public Access Areas | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Citrus Grove Irrigation | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Groundwater Recharge - RIBs | 10.0 | 7.0 |
| Industrial (Cooling Water) | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| TOTALS (Million Gallons Daily) | 27.0 | 15.9 |
 |
||
| By using reclaimed water for irrigation, Pasco County residents save and offset the use of millions of gallons of traditional water supplies every day. By the year 2010, the Pasco County Reuse System can expect to be using almost 20 million gallons of reclaimed water every day, thus reducing the costly need to develop new sources. | ||
| Pasco County currently has three major interconnected
reuse systems. They are the West Pasco Reuse System,
the Central Pasco Reuse System and the East Pasco Reuse
System. Within these service areas, reclaimed water is
used to irrigate homes, golf courses, parks, schools and
other public areas. Inter-connection of all three reuse systems provides better distribution of the available reclaimed water, which efficiently meets the needs of Pasco County reclaimed water customers. Top |
| The West Pasco County Reuse System connects the Embassy
Hills, Hudson, Shady Hills and Deer park wastewater
treatment facilities. New Port Richey has been
connected to the West Pasco Reuse System and currently
supplies about five million gallons a day of surplus
reclaimed water. New Port Richey has historically
discharged reclaimed water into the Gulf of Mexico, but with
this inter-connection it will now go to the County Reuse
System for beneficial reuse. Service in West Pasco is primarily limited to golf course, schools and parks. Since many of the residential areas were already constructed prior to the development of the County's reclaimed system, it would be too expensive to provide these communities with dual piping necessary to distribute reclaimed water. |
| The Central Pasco County Reuse System is supplied from
the Land O' Lakes and the Wesley Center Wastewater treatment
facilities. The West Pasco Reuse System and the
Central Pasco Reuse System are connected by a pump station
and pipeline located between Odessa and Land O' Lakes.
Demand for reclaimed water can easily exceed several million
gallons daily. This creates a shortage that can only
be fixed by making more reclaimed water available,
scheduling of reclaimed water use and more efficient use by
customers. Teh Central and East Pasco County Reuse Systems have been connected by a pipline between Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel. This will aid in meeting the demands of both service areas, which is where the most significant opportunity for efficient use of reclaimed water is in Pasco county. Top |
| The East Pasco County Reuse System is supplied by the southeast Pasco wastewater treatment facility. Currently, some of the reclaimed water is distributed to citrus groves, golf course and residential developments. When surplus supplies are available, they can be transferred to the Central Pasco Reuse System. |
| In 1992, Pasco County developed a Reuse Master Water
Plan. the plan's primary goal is to provide a
framework for the ongoing expansion of a county-wide reuse
system, which began supplying reclaimed water to the County
in 1986. Guided by the County's Reuse Master Plan and given the public's recognition that reclaimed water is both environmentally sound and economically beneficial, the demand for reclaimed water service continues to grow in Pasco County. In fact, the Pasco County Reuse System has been so successful that demand for reclaimed water has increased beyond the system's ability to provide reliable service. Now, like drinking water, reclaimed water is a limited resource―a resource with growing demand and insufficient supply. Utilities find themselves unable to meet demand during peak irrigation times, which occur most frequently during the months of March, April and May. Pasco County is committed to provide the most effective and efficient reclaimed water system. For these reasons, compliance with a cooperative county-wide watering schedule and maximizing the efficient use of reclaimed water will be beneficial for everyone. Top |
 |
| Purple pipes are used for distribution of Pasco's Purple Rain. Reclaimed water is tested daily and must meet mandatory water quality standards before it is distributed to homes. |
| Now is a great time to live in Pasco County. But with the current water situation, everyone must be committed to more efficient use of our water resources. Drinking water levels are at a critical point and alternative sources must be used efficiently. Better use of Pasco's Purple Rain for irrigation is one way to help. Additional steps need to be taken to inform residents on how to use reclaimed water efficiently and when to follow the watering schedules. Remember, with everyone's reasonable use and cooperation, there will be enough Purple Rain for everyone. |
| If you would like additional information on Pasco's
Purple Rain, please call (727) 847-8145. Top |
Para la traduccíon al español, marque aqui.
Para la traduccíon al español, escoja la bandera española arriba.
El servicio tradutor utilizado aqui puede hacerle publicidad a una variedad de bienes o servicios. La Universidad de
Florida y el Servicio de Extension de IFAS no tiene ningún control sobre aquel publicidad, ni aproba los bienes o
servicios así ofrecidos.