Design and Construction Challenges for a 36 Inch Diameter 18 Mile Reclaimed Water Pipeline

The Palm Beach County Central Regional Reclaimed Water Facility is capable of providing 27 million gallons per day (MGD) of reclaimed water at a total constructed cost of $54,300,000 to serve the 3750 Megawatt (MW) NextEra Energy (formerly Florida Power and Light [FPL]), West County Energy Center (WCEC). Use of reclaimed water provides a sustainable water supply for the WCEC thereby solving the water-energy nexus. The 27 MGD reclaimed water treatment facility constructed at the East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility (ECRWRF) will divert an estimated 7.65 billion gallons per year of secondary wastewater effluent from deep well injection disposal. WCEC's timetable required an accelerated schedule of 30 months to design and construct the ECRWRF. The reclaimed water filters, storage, pumping, and 36-inch diameter 18 mile pipeline were completed ahead of schedule, in only 26 months. The reclaimed water project established the water-energy nexus for the two-billion-dollar power plant by providing a sustainable source of evaporative cooling water. This project serves as a case study in providing reclaimed water to a power plant as well as a guide to making the appropriate decisions necessary to successfully complete such a project on schedule.