FORT MYERS – Lee County will hold a public meeting about the Southeast Advanced Water Reclamation Facility (SEAWRF) Project, a Lee County Utilities project that will be built in the southeast part of the county off Alico Road.

The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Airport/FGCU, 16410 Corporate Commerce Way, Fort Myers. The meeting is an open-house style so that residents can interact one-on-one with staff and drop in at whatever time is convenient to them.

Lee County Utilities is beginning the design phase for the SEAWRF Project, which is proposed to be located at 14201 Alico Road. The SEAWRF project will provide the county with a 6 million gallons per day advanced water reclamation facility that can be expanded to 10 million gallons per day or greater, if needed. The project is needed to support existing and future population in the area.

Water quality is a top priority of the Lee Board of County Commissioners and water-quality initiatives occur year-round. Water quality affects residents and visitors alike and is the driver behind the SEAWRF Project. Responsible management of wastewater is key to maintaining the county’s water quality overall.

An advanced water reclamation facility produces a “higher quality” water by removing nutrients in addition to the normal components removed in a standard biological wastewater treatment facility. The resulting water would be safe for public reuse in landscape irrigation and other potential beneficial uses.

Advance Water Treatment (AWT) will help to further remove nutrients from the treated wastewater, or effluent. Removing nutrients from the effluent water and making it available for irrigation would help lessen the demand for potable drinking water and protect and improve Lee County’s water quality.

For more information about the SEAWRF Project, visit www.LCUSEwater.com. For more information about the Board’s commitment to water-quality initiatives, visit www.leegov.com/water.

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