$7.4 MILLION AWARDED FOR INNOVATIVE DRINKING WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 16, 2016

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us 

$7.4 MILLION AWARDED FOR INNOVATIVE DRINKING WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS 

~State funding helps communities attain new clean drinking water technology~


Tallahassee, Fla. – The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $7.2 million in funding assistance to two small Florida communities for the implementation of state-of-the-art technology at two drinking water treatment plants to improve the treatment processes and the quality of drinking water supplied to residents.  

"We are proud to assist these cities in bringing even better quality drinking water to their residents," said Trina Vielhauer, director of the Division of Water Restoration Assistance. "It's exciting for the state to be on the cutting edge and lead the way for advanced drinking water systems."

Bunnell: Awarded $1.2 million to assist in funding the recently opened ion exchange water treatment facility featuring the MICo® SOF ion exchange process, the first water treatment process of its kind in North America. This 1-million gallon per day drinking water treatment plant simultaneously removes contaminants and softens water. The unique two-step process lowers costs, provides better tasting drinking water and meets state and EPA regulations for safe drinking water.

"This new facility does more than provide our citizens with better and safer drinking water," said Dan Davis, Bunnell city manager. "This state-of-the-art treatment plant puts Bunnell on the map for using some of the most innovative water treatment technology available today."

Haines City: Awarded an increase of $4.5 million to an existing loan, for a total of $6.2 million to assist the city in completing their anionic ion exchange treatment system, which will help reduce disinfection byproducts in drinking water and provide safe drinking water for the residents of this small Polk County community.

"The improvements to our city's drinking water treatment plant are essential for a dependable, healthy water supply for our residents," said Jonathan Evans, city manager for Haines City. "We are pleased to implement this advanced water treatment technology to provide safe drinking water for future generations."

In drinking water treatment, ion exchange is primarily used for removing calcium and magnesium ions from water, known as softening; however, its use is expanding and it is now being utilized for the removal of other contaminants such as nitrate, sulfate and arsenic.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program provides low-interest loans to eligible entities for planning, designing and constructing public water facilities. DWSRF has awarded more than $273 million in funding for 62 for drinking water improvement projects during the past five years for a total of $925 million in loan funds since its inception in 1998. For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/dwsrf/index.htm