Storm Sewer Municipal Wastewater Drainage Wells

Florida Spring Protection

Drainage Wells Storm Sewer Runoff into the Aquifer

Senator Lee Constantine hopes to stop the discharge of pollutants into what the U.S. Geologic Survey calls the LIMESTONE PIPELINE. A local bill would likely solve the pollution in Altamonte Springs, Orlando, and the Wekiva Springs Area. Stopping Wekiva area pollution is job one for Senior Senator Lee Constantine.

Senator Charles Dean Calls Marion County Meeting to get at Facts.

According to St Johns Water Management reports, Florida's Springs will likely suffer for many years from all the dumping that has occured in and around Senator Constantine's District.

Many of the drainage wells are still in operation. According to FDEP reports as much of 200 million gallons of processed sewage is discharged in the Wekiva area daily, with 50 million gallons going into direct discharge drains that will taint Wekiva springs for many years to come. Citizens are asking if we should expand the big Utilities now while they still have so much processed waste to deposit. Should we wait in order to give Senator Constantine a chance to solve the local problems he is addressing resulting from current and past contamination discharge by local utilities. Perhaps the new EPA nitrate standards will help Senator Constantine stop the nitrate pollution of Wekiva Springs.

SJWMD Report shows:

"Unfortunately, during the first half of the century, drainage wells were
used for many purposes other than surface or lake water recharge.
Gravity drainage wells were also used for waste disposal, including
industrial or agricultural wastes, and municipal wastewater. These
practices resulted in the emplacement of highly polluted waters."

SJWMD study explains the benefits of Drainage Well

Drainage wells discharging direct surface street or urban drainage are called beneficial by SJWMD.

Drainage wells are the second leading source of Springs contamination and drinking water contamination. EPA asks for Florida DEP to set standards.

St Johns River Water Management District studies provide clarity in how we may benefit from dumping Storm Sewer Runoff into our Drinking Water Supply, the Floridan Aquifer.

St. Johns River Water Management District Report,
Palatka, Florida

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) in
association with its water supply planning effort conducted an
Alternative Water Supply Strategy Investigation. As part of
that investigation, SJRWMD evaluated the feasibility of
increasing the flow of surface water to the Floridan aquifer
through drainage wells in Orange and Seminole counties.

pursuant to Contract #95W166A. A summary of this
evaluation has been published by the District as Special
Publication SJ97-SP14. The publication includes the
recommendation that existing regulations should be revised to
encourage net improvements in recharge water quality and
increased recharge volume using drainage wells.

ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY PLANNING
To address these potential problems before they become critical,
SJRWMD is investigating the feasibility of several alternative water
supply strategies, including artificial recharge of the Floridan aquifer.

ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE INVESTIGATIONS
Artificial recharge using gravity recharge (drainage) wells is a
technically feasible, long established practice in central Florida,
particularly in Orange and Seminole counties. Drainage wells in this
area were originally constructed to provide urban drainage and lake
level control; however, these wells also provide an important aquifer
recharge function.

THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE WELLS
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
In central Florida, drainage wells generally connect a surface water
feature with the upper Floridan aquifer. Historically, their primary
purpose has been to provide surface drainage and to prevent flooding
in closed surface basins.
Drainage wells operate by gravity. They are technically feasible in
areas where the surface water elevation is greater than the
potentiometric elevation of a transmissive receiving aquifer. These
conditions exist throughout much of the developed portions of central
Florida, including Orlando.
The surface water source for a recharge well can be direct surface runoff,
such as street or urban drainage, or indirect surface runoff, such as a
lake, stormwater detention pond, or wetland outflow. By far, the most
common existing drainage well applications in central Florida are street
drainage and lake level control.

Drainage Wells are the leading source of Pollution

St Johns Water Management District shows drainage well structure.

Typically out of sight, a Drainage well is shown in this St Johns Water Management design. Often sink holes were used in the past to drain Storm Sewer Runoff but these drains to the drinking water aquifer often clog up and more efficient drains to the aquifer are drilled by utilities. Citizens are becoming worried that utilities will have to raise rates if these environmental shortcuts are replaced by sound environmental systems like reuse systems on the surface that contaminate very little if at all.

Draining Lake Water into the aquifer in order to allow more pumping for irrigation is not a good idea. Sure the nutrients from sewer plants and storm water utility discharge provides free fertilizer to irrigation users, but many citizens worry that draining lakes and rivers may be a bad idea.

If Permits are requested for pumping from a lake, people object. With a hidden drainage well, people don't even know there the water is coming from.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking FDEP to adopt Numeric Nutrient Water Quality Standards. This will stop the secret draining of Street Storm Sewer Runoff into our Aquifer.

Senator Lee Constantine hopes to clean up Wekiva

Drainage Wells blot out the map as they pollute the Wekiva Springs waters in Constantine's district

FDEP Sec. Mike Sole has requested citizens to get involved as we attempt to clean up our springs without breaking the bank. Learn more.

Take time to understand the potential cost to you and your family of Springs Protection Issues. Should we allow utilities to discharge unwanted Storm Sewer Runoff and excess processed sewage waste directly into our aquifer?