The City of Cape Coral utilizes reverse osmosis (RO) to treat its’ water which is supplied by 23 deep wells. The majority of these wells are in the lower Hawthorne Aquifer at a depth of 650 to 700 feet. The RO Plant was built in 1976. Prior to the building of the RO Plant the City used lime softening. This technology was abandoned in 1985, primarily due to salt water intrusion. Today approximately 70,000 of Cape Coral’s 98,000 population receive water from the Reverse Osmosis Plant Approximately 28,000 residents have private wells. The 3mgd Reverse Osmosis Plant of 1976 had been expanded to 15 mgd, making it one of the largest and oldest R.O Plants in the World.

OPERATIONAL DATA:

The RO Plant is divided into two sections. The original Plant, which is referred to here as Plant 1 and the addition, which was built in 1985, referred to here as Plant 2: