Florida Senate Bill 64 eliminates treated wastewater discharge into lakes and streams. We focused on helping City B Wastewater Treatment Plant stop sending treated wastewater into Camp Creek to protect rivers and streams from excess nutrients and pollution. Meeting this requirement was important for supporting cleaner water and long-term environmental health in the community.
We began by analyzing how the wastewater plant operated, treated water quality, site soil characteristics, and available land. We met with our sponsor to confirm project goals and discuss designs and permits. We compared three alternatives: Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBs), water reuse at the city cemetery, and deep-well injection. RIBs required more land but offered lower construction costs and simpler operation. Deep-well injection required expensive drilling and strict permitting. Water reuse needed new pipes, pumps, and storage infrastructure. Based on these factors, we selected RIBs as the optimal solution.
We then completed preliminary design steps. We estimated site soil properties, calculated the area needed for multiple basins, and determined appropriate rest periods between infiltration cycles. We also developed initial layout concepts and identified required data, including soil tests and groundwater levels. These steps enabled us to prepare design calculations and drawings. By selecting the Rapid Infiltration Basin system, we supported groundwater recharge, reduced nutrient loading to surface water, and provided a long-term, sustainable solution for City B Wastewater Treatment Plant.