Feasibility Evaluations for St. Johns River Membrane Water Plant Demineralization Concentrate Management. Final Report

摘要

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) is working closely with public water suppliers within its jurisdiction in developing implementable plans for meeting future water supply demands. A central theme is the need to develop alternatives to the historical reliance on the Upper Floridan groundwater aquifer as the primary source of potable water. Investigations on alternative water supply (AWS) strategies for some of the utilities located in east-central Florida along the St. Johns River (SJR) have indicated that the river may be a viable raw water supply; some river withdrawals are believed to be allowable while still meeting minimum flows and levels (MFLs) requirements. The river tends to be slightly brackish resulting from significant groundwater influence under low river flow conditions. Demineralization treatment technologies are likely needed for producing potable water. These treatment processes generate a wastewater containing concentrated constituents found in the source water called generically concentrate. Management of this concentrate is now recognized as the major factor influencing engineering, environmental, and economic feasibility determinations because of the potential environmental challenges to dispose of it.