Introducing: The Water “Buddy”

Each weekday, Buddy Gary makes his rounds throughout Polk County Utilities’ (PCU) Northwest service area. He stops at each water production plant, checking to see that all processes are functioning properly. During his checks, Buddy makes sure the well pumps are in good condition, checks the pressure of the water running through the pipes and services any equipment that needs care.

As a water plant operator, Buddy holds a Class B Drinking Water License from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). He also has more than 13 years of experience caring for and maintaining Polk County’s water production plants, helping to ensure safe, reliable water supplies to Polk’s businesses and residents.

Read more about how operators make sure water is safe.

Buddy is one of the few Utilities plant operators who has worked at every water production plant operated by Polk County Utilities. As a U.S. Air Force veteran raised in Polk County, Florida, Buddy understands the dedication it takes to serve Polk’s residents and visitors only the finest quality water.

One facility Buddy services that is unique to the Northwest Regional Service area is the Direct Potable Reuse Pilot Facility. The pilot project shares an address with the Cherry Hill Water Production Facility and sits adjacent to the main facility. This small facility is just one step in bringing the future of expedited water production technology to Polk County.

The DPR process mimics what the Earth does naturally through the water cycle – it recycles water. The key difference is that DPR uses advanced treatment instead of an environmental buffer.

In nature, water flows into rivers, lakes and wetlands or seeps into the ground, where it slowly filters through soil and underground aquifers. This process can take months or even years. Purifying water through the DPR process uses manmade processes that mimic the natural filtration cycle but only takes hours and happens in a controlled environment.

Why DPR?

Polk County Utilities leadership began exploring DPR as an alternative water supply source after it was determined that the Upper Floridan Aquifer, Polk’s traditional water supply source, was in danger of being over-pumped. With the exponential population growth that Polk County has experienced in the previous years, Polk County along with other public utility providers must be careful not to surpass the aquifer’s safe withdrawal levels as this could harm Polk’s rivers, lakes and wetlands and the outdoor lifestyle that residents enjoy.

To be proactive in solving this problem, Polk County partnered with the Southwest Florida Water Management District to build the facility beginning in 2021. Since its completion in 2023, the facility has been the site of ongoing demonstration testing to evaluate the possibility of using this innovative solution to supplement Polk’s water supply in the Northwest service area.

How does Polk’s DPR pilot facility work?

The DPR pilot facility was built to house and evaluate each process’ treatment capabilities for producing a safe, clean water product of the highest quality.

Read more about how the DPR process works.

Water professionals like Buddy operate and maintain the equipment. Buddy also collects water samples to ensure the DPR process is effectively treating the water to current and proposed drinking water standards.

Water from the DPR pilot facility is tested by multiple independent laboratories throughout Florida. The results have consistently demonstrated safe, sustainable results.

Polk County, Florida, is far from being the first utility provider to consider DPR as a solution for supplementing the potable water supply.

In fact, DPR projects have already been successfully implemented to supplement the potable water supply at full scale in places throughout the United States including Arizona and California. Even the International Space Station has taken advantage of this water recycling process to take care of its astronauts who orbit the Earth.

Polk County Utilities is leading the charge to bring the technology to Polk, one of the fastest growing counties in Florida.

What’s next for DPR as an alternative water supply for Polk County?

Polk County Utilities will not serve water purified by the DPR process to its customers until the county meets the strict standards of FDEP and receives proper permitting from the organization.

Even then, water will only be blended into the potable water supply to supplement it, not replace it. This would take place in the future after a full-scale DPR facility has been built in the Northwest service area.

According to the Water “Buddy,” water from Polk’s DPR facility is, “the best water you could have.”

“The water that we serve people is much more regulated than the stuff you can buy in a plastic bottle or out of a vending machine,” he said. “One thing I wish people realized is that you can’t taste the safety in your water. However, customers can trust that what we are serving them is safe.”