Water from public utilities goes through quite a journey before it gets to your home. From a reservoir, river or aquifer to a treatment plant, where it’s first filtered and then chlorinated, then back into the pipes and finally out of your tap.
The Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority provides 26 million gallons of water on a daily basis to southwest Floridians; Sarasota’s Carlton Water Treatment Plant produces six million gallons daily.
Where Does Municipal Water Come From?
Manatee County gets a lot of its “raw” water from the Manatee and Peace rivers—in fact, some of that water gets used in Sarasota County, too. Both counties also utilize a variety of wells in the area to produce water for the public. Most of those wells are only between 400 and 700 feet deep, though Manatee also uses a 1,200-foot well to bolster its water supply.
Where Does the Raw Water Go Next?
Typically, Manatee County harvests its raw water from its various sources and then keeps it in storage. There are a number of above-ground reservoirs—what might look like big ponds—near Manatee’s treatment center.
Manatee also uses a special Aquifer Storage and Recovery system (ASR). This means that water harvested from the Peace River is actually injected into the aquifer and can be recovered later. The ASR wells are especially useful during the dry season.
Water Treatment
Manatee County’s multi-step water treatment process includes
Coagulation: Chemicals are added to the water to make contaminants stick together so they’re easier to remove.
Sedimentation: A gravity-filtration process removes those contaminants.
Disinfection: Any remaining organisms are killed.
Filtration: The water is filtered one last time.
After Treatment
From the treatment facility, the water typically goes back into storage. But in this case, it’s stored in an enclosed, man-made, above-ground storage facility in order to protect it from contaminants.
Distribution
Manatee County has a 70-mile main loop that brings water from the Peace River facility to regional distribution centers in Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Hernando counties. From there, the water flows through progressively smaller pipes until it finds its way to your home.
Water Personalized Just for You
All of these steps ensure that the public has safe drinking water. However, it also means your water goes through a LOT before it gets to you.
A home Healthy Water System takes that public water and makes sure it’s just right for you and your family. It allows you to take personal control of what flows into your house. It’s the final step in a long journey.
Deckard & Company.