Pinellas County Utilities Takes Action on North County’s Low Reclaimed Water Pressure Issues

Pinellas County Utilities (PCU) is addressing low reclaimed water pressure in North County due to drought and increased demand. In the past three years, demand at the William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility in Palm Harbor has risen from 10 million to over 16 million gallons per day. This increase, along with reduced wastewater flows, has made it difficult to maintain adequate water pressure.

Currently, the facility can only produce about six million gallons of reclaimed water daily. This reduction has led to pressure issues in North County. To manage this, PCU has set strict watering schedules to ensure fair access to the limited reclaimed water supply.

To improve the situation, PCU has installed additional pumps and air release valves to enhance water pressure and flow. They also conduct regular maintenance like flushing service lines and inspecting filters.

For long-term improvements, PCU is upgrading off-site pump stations and building a new one near Lake Tarpon. They are also developing a managed aquifer storage and recovery system using Lake Tarpon as a water source to increase reclaimed water supply.

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