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Reclaimed water, or reuse, is highly treated wastewater effluent that has been treated and disinfected. Reuse water is ideal for many non-drinking water applications such as landscape and crop irrigation, dust control and other similar uses. Reuse is beneficial in several regards. It provides an environmentally-sound means of effluent disposal and its application can take the place of non-essential uses of drinking water. Melbourne is taking advantage of these benefits by the construction and expansion of a reuse system utility. The City currently distributes up to 35 percent of its total daily wastewater treatment plant flow to its reuse customers. The City has tentative plans to distribute 100 percent by 2015.

Two City Plants Produce 2.5 Million Gallons Per Day

While a relatively tiny amount of reuse water is needed to feed the new pond at the plant,a very large quantity is produced to serve the needs of the plant's distribution service area. The D.B. Lee Water Reclamation Facility has a production capacity of 2.0 million gallons per day. The smaller Grant Street Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at the south end of the city, has 0.5 million gallons per day of reuse production capacity. The north reuse service area distribution system serves a variety of municipal, residential and commercial customers in north Melbourne. Approximately seven miles of reuse mains distribute reuse to City parks, roadway medians, the operational areas of the Melbourne International Airport and the Harbor City Golf Course. In addition, more than 70 commercial and residential customers are served by the reuse system. Peak customer demand often exceeds reuse distribution capacity during dry periods. Production and distribution enhancements are part of the master expansion plan.

The south reuse service area distribution system serves the Melbourne Municipal Golf Course only. A reuse force main extends from the Grant Street plant to the 0.35 million gallon reuse storage tank at the golf course. The golf course has an irrigation demand in excess of 0.5 million gallons per day, so there is currently not enough reuse production capacity to serve additional customers in the service area. Capacity will be expanded in the future so that additional customers can be served. The improvements are programmed as part of a master wastewater treatment plant expansion plan.