Water Treatment Plant Open House

Two Cedar Key citizens being given the tour of the water treatment plant by Neil Doty.

Saturday morning, June 9, the new pre-treatment water facilities were on display at the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District water treatment plant. The pre-treatment equipment removes dissolved organic carbon molecules that combine with chlorine to form undesirable compounds during processing of drinking water. The new facilities have brought the concentration of undesirable compounds (trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids) below the maximum allowed by state standards.

Jack Hotaling, the Water District Manager, told Cedar Key News that the plant now has the capacity to produce 250 gallons per minute, more than twice the current usage rate. He said the equipment cost over $400,000, and is the first package plant in the United States. Orica Watercare, an Australian company supplies the equipment and materials.

The process mixes minute plastic spheres with raw well water, thereby adsorbing the organic carbon molecules. The spheres are cleaned and returned to the system to pick up more carbon molecules. Once the carbon molecules are removed, the water may be chlorinated to kill bacteria prior to distribution.