CASE-STUDY - MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA A UTILITY EXPERIENCE DEVELOPING A NEW REVERSE-OSMOSIS TREATMENT SYSTEM

After the state water management district required that Martin County, Florida, curtail use of a shallow freshwater aquifer and develop an alternative water supply, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. was retained to conduct alternative water supply study and recommended reverse osmosis treatment system of a brackish water supply. Several technical and managerial issues arose including concentrate disposal permitting, public acceptance, and plant utilization. The water utility also had to resolve odor treatment of hydrogen sulfide gas emissions, as well scramble to find an alternate supplier of reverse osmosis membranes when a federal court order took the selected membrane off the market. other utilities can benefit from Martin County's ordeals and successes during the development of this treatment system.