Sanibel’s reclaimed water facility to get major upgrade, reduce nutrient discharge

For years, we thought reclaimed water was good for the environment. It turns out there’s a potential it can actually cause more harm by contributing to problems like red drift algae.

Now, the City of Sanibel is using new research to clean up used water.

James Evans, Sanibel’s director of natural resources, says if not used carefully, reclaimed water can load nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen into our waterways.

“We look at reused water, reclaimed water as an asset to our community,” Evans said. “But if it’s not treated to a high enough standard, what can happen is it can actually be a liability.”

The island’s Donax Water Reclamation Facility is responsible for treating wastewater and it will soon get an upgrade.

“The end result of this project will remove the nitrogen and phosphorous by approximately 50 to 70 percent, so that means the water that’s sent to our golf courses, our condominiums, and other properties throughout the island,” Evans said.

Golf courses like The Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, which has worked to cut back on its own nutrients, use through grass filtration and water diffusing to clean the water.

Just as golfers have scorecards, the course does too.

“They test our lakes during the course of the year, SCCF tests our lakes during the course of the year and then they grade us at the end of the year, so we’re in the process of that.”

And through scorecards and facility upgrades, the City of Sanibel hopes to stay on course when it comes to protecting our precious water.

The City says the two-year upgrade project is expected to be completed in March 2021.