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Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, in Apopka, Florida receives EPA Clean Water Act Recognition Award

Release Date: 12/13/2006
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – December 13, 2006) Today, the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, in Apopka, Florida was presented with the 2006 EPA Region 4 Clean Water Act Recognition Award for Operations and Maintenance in the Medium Advanced Treatment Facility category. Under the Clean Water Act, EPA provides awards to facilities that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative waste treatment and pollution abatement practices during the year. The program is intended to educate the public about the contributions publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities make to clean water and to recognize communities that go beyond the minimum requirements needed to meet the Clean Water Act.

The Northwest Water Reclamation is has demonstrated outstanding operation and maintenance over the past year and was recognized as a leader in the Medium Advanced Treatment Facility category. This facility was one of the first fully automated water reclamation facilities in Orange County, Florida to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. The 7.5 million gallons per day advanced secondary treatment system currently is producing reclaimed water that is suitable for irrigation of areas open to the public. The plant utilizes state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Aquisition system to monitor and control various treatment units from the control room and a biological process monitoring system that ensures the dissolved oxygen content in the aeration tanks is optimized. The facility utilizes a computer maintenance management system which tracks work orders, preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment, and inventory at the plant. The environmental and ecological benefits of the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility include the creation of wetlands and the revitalization of Lake Marden.