Released on: October 29, 2008, 1:40 pm

Press Release Author: South Florida Water Management District

Industry: Environment

Press Release Summary: a mew water treat,emt technology is cleaning Lake Okeechobee
(Florida), one of the largest freshwater lakes in the U.S.

Press Release Body: West Palm Beach, FL - An innovative new water cleaning
technology is expanding in the Lake Okeechobee watershed thanks to its initial
success and a partnership between the South Florida Water Management District
(SFWMD) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Reducing the flow of nutrients such as phosphorus into Lake Okeechobee is a key
priority for the District and FDACS. The Hybrid Wetland TreatmentTechnology project
utilizes a combination of plants and specialized chemicals to reduce nutrients in
the Lake Okeechobee watershed, which can flow to Florida's coastal estuaries and the
Everglades.

In October, the District's Governing Board approved a $3 million investment for up
to two new treatment wetlands, matching $3 million appropriated by the Florida
Legislature to start the pilot project about a year ago. The Hybrid Wetland
Treatment Technology systems are expected to be a predictable, sustainable, and
cost-effective method of achieving water quality targets in the Northern Everglades.
Initial data indicates greater than 80 percent phosphorus removal efficiency. For
more preliminary data and photos, click here.

"The District has been a leader in the development and deployment of new technology
to improve water quality in South Florida," SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Eric
Buermann said. "This new treatment approach, which can improve the Lake Okeechobee
watershed, will ultimately provide benefits to the entire Everglades ecosystem."

The Hybrid Wetland Treatment Technology project combines the proven effectiveness of
treatment wetlands-where plants take up phosphorus from the water-with specialized
chemical treatment to remove phosphorus from the water column and sequester the
phosphorus into wetland sediments. The hybrid technology offers considerable
flexibility in adjusting construction size of the treatment wetland and adjusting
chemical treatment as needed to achieve nutrient-reduction goals.

"It is particularly exciting that this technology allows the treatment to be
tailored to address the highly variable water quality issues that occur both
seasonally and within specific basins in the Lake Okeechobee watershed," Florida
Commissioner of Agriculture Charles H. Bronson said. "The technology also minimizes
the amount of land required for the facility."

In the project's first year, four systems were constructed in watersheds north of
Okeechobee: two to treat runoff from major tributaries to Lake Okeechobee, one to
treat dairy lagoon waters and one to treat citrus runoff into the Indian River
Lagoon. All systems were constructed and operational by the summer of 2008.

Expansion of this initiative will enable construction and monitoring of up to two
new additional systems in the watershed at sites to be determined, as well as ensure
continued monitoring and improvement efforts for the existing facilities. Project
reporting will also provide nutrient removal cost information that can be used for
watershed-wide implementation of this technology and other future treatment systems.


The project is part of the landmark Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection
Program, which promotes a comprehensive, interconnected watershed approach to
protecting Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and estuary and the St. Lucie
River and estuary.

In 2007, the Florida Legislature expanded the Lake Okeechobee Protection Act to
recognize the importance and connectivity of the entire ecosystem-from the Kissimmee
Chain of Lakes south to Florida Bay.

The primary goal of the law is to restore reaches of the natural system north of
Lake Okeechobee by addressing not only water quality but also the quantity, timing
and distribution of water to the natural system. For more information, visit
www.sfwmd.gov/northerneverglades.

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About the South Florida Water Management District
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that
oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state - 16 counties from
Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water
management districts. The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of
the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems
and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.



Web Site: http://www.sfwmd.gov

Contact Details: Victoria Nowlan
vnowlan@sfwmd.gov
(863) 462-5260 or (800) 250-4200 x3045