A peninsula with thousands of lakes, streams, springs, estuaries – and a vast underground aquifer – Florida literally has “water, water everywhere.” But could there be a day in the future when the water we now access so readily from the tap might not be as abundant? The answer is “yes.”
With Central Florida’s population surging, the demand for safe, clean water is rising, too. OUC – The Reliable One – knows this, and they’re digging deep to explore new water sources that can keep pace with our community’s growing needs.
On Tuesday, April 9, OUC’s Board approved an investment in a new alternative water supply project. To be built at an existing repump station on 15 acres in Lake Nona, the 40,000-square-foot Southeast Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant is estimated to be a $125 million to $155 million investment at completion, with the initial plant design phase totaling $8.1 million. The project is set to begin construction in November 2025 and be completed in 2033.
Drilling about 2,000 feet (more than a third of a mile) below ground level, the plant will draw brackish water from a new source even deeper into the Lower Floridan Aquifer.
Because water in the aquifer’s depths has more concentrated mineral content, it requires additional treatment before it can be used for drinking. However, the Lake Nona plant will harness reverse osmosis, a proven technology used regularly by utilities, to desalinize and filter the water.
By pushing pressurized, untreated water through a semipermeable membrane, the filtration system will separate water molecules from unwanted substances and minerals. From there, OUC’s treatment and rigorous quality testing will result in water that is clean, great-tasting, and safe to drink.
Reverse osmosis is an innovative – and essential – step in OUC’s overarching plan to diversify Florida’s water supply and meet the needs of future generations. The Southeast Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant will translate those forward-looking solutions into real-world results.
The new plant is just one element of an integrated approach OUC is taking to meet increased water demand. Encouraging customers to conserve water – through conservation audits, educational programs with local schools, conservation best practices, and more – remains a top priority for OUC, as a provider and as a steward of Florida’s natural resources.
Other initiatives include implementing leak detection technology to proactively identify leaks in the water distribution system and on customer properties, upgrading water meters with next generation Advanced Metering Infrastructure and encouraging participation among customers in the City of Orlando’s reclaimed water program.
As Orlando’s hometown utility, OUC takes pride in responsible stewardship of water, our state’s most precious natural resource. As OUC continues to encourage customers to conserve through household audits and educational programs, it is also unearthing sustainable solutions that will keep Central Florida thriving for years to come.
