Objections to Upgrading Collier County Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP)

WWTP across Collier County deliverssignificant pollution to the county watersheds through the “purple pipes” that distribute reuse or reclaimed water to golf courses and other irrigation systems. This reuse water contains excessive amounts of pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are components of fertilizer. This is destroying the oxygen in the watersheds across the county. As recommended by Collier County Pollution Control, the county WWTP must be upgraded to Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) for this environmental catastrophe to be corrected. 

The first objection is that the removal of nutrients will cost many millions of dollars. The technology used by FDEP at Piney Point would virtually eliminate the nutrients andsimultaneously reduce operating costs. Deep-well injection of excess reuse water would no longer be required.The Algal Bowl (Schindler), states that the cost might be "10 cents per person per day" or an impact to the average water bill of $10 per month. 

The WWTP operators say that the responsibility should be shouldered by agriculture and landscaping industries being judicious in how they fertilize and use reuse water.Here they seem to be admitting that there is a problem but pointing the finger at their customers.None of the county plants remove phosphorus, a highly potent nutrient. The WWTP are free to distribute many tons of this pollutant across the county every year, without limit. 

The WWTP operators say that no environmental violations are present. They fail to mention that of the twenty-one (21) watersheds managed by the countyonly two (Lake Trafford and Cocohatchee River) have what are called Numerical Nutrient Criterion (NNC) established. These are the pollution limits on nitrogen and phosphorus in the watersheds that are monitored in other watersheds in Florida. When the pollution in other watersheds exceeds these limits, corrective actions are taken.  

There will never be any corrective actions taken in the county watersheds because there are no pollution limits in place to violate. Correction of this regulatory oversight was recommended by Collier County Pollution Control in 2022. 

Oxygen limits are in place now for all the county watersheds. Seven of these watersheds are well below these limits and could immediately be declared as impaired. Instead, nothing will be done. These watersheds have been on the “study” list for years. A hypoxic dead zone has formed in the center of Collier County.