The Cherry Hill Water Production Facility (WPF) was a master-planned project meant to increase the resilience of Polk County’s water supply and provide an opportunity to investigate direct potable reuse (DPR) as a future water supply option. We performed planning, design, and construction administration of the DPR pilot facility located at the Cherry Hill WPF, which is the first in Florida to conduct feasibility testing at a water treatment plant rather than a wastewater plant.

The ultimate goal of the project is to use up to 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of reclaimed water for innovative methods and to verify that contaminants can be removed while adhering to rigorous state and federal drinking water standards.

The pilot facility completed generating data over 12 months. Polk County will continue to operate the facility to educate visitors about DPR’s viability as a safe, reliable drinking water source.