Better-quality of water is coming to Stuart from the statewide leader in water treatment

STUART — Better-quality water will soon be flowing to homes and businesses from the state's leader in handling water contamination, city and state officials said.

The city on Friday cut the ribbon on its latest water-treatment system, a $28.1 million reverse osmosis plant at 1002 Southeast Palm Beach Road. The plant will reduce the risk of contamination and provide for more flexibility in water production, officials said.

"Stuart really is the leader" in addressing the issue of chemicals in the water supply, said state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart. "Stuart is the example. Others are looking to Stuart."

The new system takes water from a well 1,680 feet down in the Floridan aquifer, which is less susceptible to contamination. The water from the Floridan aquifer will be added to water from the existing system to create better-quality water, according to the city.

The new system

Twenty-four membranes filter and "polish" the water. Pumps push it through the membranes.

"It's like forcing water through a block of wood," Peter Kunen, director of Utilities and Engineering, explained.

Water is pushed through the membranes at 150 pounds per square inch, or enough to punch a hole in a concreate wall, he said.

The filtered water is so pure the city must add minerals to it before sending it to users.

The system can treat up to 1.5 million gallons a day, but Stuart will use only half that capacity unless demand requires it, said Mike Woodside, superintendent of the water-treatment plant, where the new system is located.

Turning it on

Harrell and Mayor Becky Bruner were at the control panel on Friday, turning on the new system for the first time. It functioned well.

"It does exactly what I was told it was going to do," Woodside said.

Woodside turned it off shortly afterward because the city is waiting for final clearances from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection before sending the new blend to homes and businesses.

The reverse osmosis plant is the city's largest capital-improvement project ever. The project took four years to build. Design started in 2019.

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Better taste

The result will also be better-looking and better-tasting water.

"I believe the taste is going to get a little better," Woodside said Tuesday.

The city won the Florida Rural Water Association “Best Tasting Water” contest in 2001, 2004, and in 2014, and, Kunen said, will try to win again in August.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com or at 720-288-6882.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Better-quality of water is coming to Stuart from the statewide leader in water treatment