Detail on the District’s surface water management facilities is below:

Storm water Pump Stations 1 and 2

Storm water Pump Stations 1 and 2 were originally designed for the discharge of storm water from Acme Basin B directly into the Arthur R Marshall/Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge). The Refuge is part of the historical Florida Everglades system. In 1994, the Everglades Forever Act included a mandate that by the year 2006, all water discharging to the Everglades had to meet certain water quality standards. This meant storm water discharge from Basin B either needed to be sufficiently treated prior to discharge into the Refuge, or it needed to be redirected elsewhere.

SFWMD had undertaken an effort to design and construct large storm water treatment areas (STAs) to act as filters to reduce the nutrient loads from urban and agricultural storm water discharging into the Everglades. STA 1-East (STA 1E), located adjacent to the western boundary of Acme, accepts and treats storm water runoff from the SFWMD C-51 West Basin. Consequently, storm water discharged from Acme’s Basin A is routed through STA 1E.

To address the Acme Basin B discharge problem, the Basin B Project, which re-routed Basin B discharge into Basin A, was designed and completed. Pump Station 1 was subsequently dismantled. Pump Station 2 was rehabilitated for use as an inflow pump (for maintaining water levels during dry periods) and as an emergency discharge pump during emergency weather or flooding conditions.

Storm water Pump Station 2 includes one 50,000 gpm and one 60,000 gpm axial flow, vertical lift, pumps; one 60,000 gpm two-way box pump located in the center of the building (for discharge or withdrawals); three diesel engines with belt drive units; and two steel gates. For storm water discharge, the east gate would be raised and the west gate would be lowered. The opposite gate configuration allows water to be pumped back from the Refuge into Acme’s canals. Currently, when Basin B water levels fall below 13.0 feet NGVD, the withdrawal pump may be activated.

Pump Station 2 also includes a reinforced masonry building with a wood truss roof system and a concrete substructure. The concrete substructure is protected by structural steel sheeting headwalls on both the the forebay and discharge bay sides of the building.

The station is permitted under the SFWMD Surface Water Management Permit and a SFWMD right-of-way permit (No. 50-00548-R), which authorizes drainage connections through SFWMD’s L-40 Levee.

Storm water Pump Stations 3 and 4

Storm water Pump Stations 3 and 4 were the original discharge and withdrawal stations for Acme Basin A. They, along with additional pump stations described below, now serve both Acme Basins A and B.

Pump Stations 3 and 4 discharge storm water directly to the C-51 West Canal. The function of the pump stations is to provide storm water protection. The pump schedule, as permitted by SFWMD, is to maintain a water level 11.0 feet NGVD in the Basin A canals and lakes during the wet season and 12.0 feet NGVD during the dry season. Both pump stations were constructed utilizing reinforced masonry walls with a precast 03 double roof system. The forebays and discharge bays on both pump stations include structural steel headwalls.

When water levels fall below 11.0 feet NGVD in Basin A, Acme may activate Pump Stations 3 and/or 4 intake pumps to withdraw water from the C-51 West Canal.

The stations are permitted under the SFWMD Surface Water Management Permit and a SFWMD right-of-way permit (No. 50-00548-R), which authorizes drainage connections to SFWMD’s C-51 Canal.

Storm water Pump Station 3 consists of two (2) 200-hp electric motors with a belt drive unit that powers an axial flow vertical lift pump. The design capacity of each pump is 60,000 gpm. The belts extend from the engine pulley in a vertical configuration and are twisted to match a horizontal pulley directly above the pump. The pump is located outside the building, supported by a platform attached to the south face of the building. The pulley drives a line shaft connected to the pump propeller. The pumps create a vertical lift of water, forcing it through a 54-inch-diameter steel discharge pipe located under the building and extending north for approximately 40 feet to the discharge canal. The pipe outlet is equipped with a flap gate that prevents water from back-flowing into Acme’s canals.

A 4,000-gallon above ground diesel fuel tank serves the pump station’s emergency generator. This steel tank is located within a concrete containment area designed to meet FDEP Rule 17-762 for secondary containment. Feed and return lines are located above ground within a secondary containment pipe. These lines are connected to a 50-gallon day tank which, in turn, has feed and return lines to and from the engines. The day tank is used to maintain fuel levels within a specified range.

Pump Station 4 consists of two (2) 200-hp electric motors with a belt drive unit. Each drive unit transfers power to a 60,000 gpm axial flow vertical lift pump that is arranged in a similar configuration to Pump Station 3.

The stations are served with 480-volt, three-phase underground electrical power from a Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) pad-mounted transformer. The main panel is served through a 40-amp, 2-pole main breaker (at 480 volts), a 15 Watt, single-phase 480 to 240 volt, dry-type transformer, and a 100-amp, 2-pole manual transfer switch. The main panel is rated 100-amp, single-phase, three-wire, 120/240 volt, with a 60-amp, 2-pole main breaker. This panel serves one 2-hp, 230-volt sump pump, a 230-volt welder receptacle, 120-volt lighting and receptacle circuits, and other miscellaneous 120-volt loads including engine battery chargers, telemetry system, etc. Both Pump Station 3 and 4 have a 450-kW CAT back-up Gen-Set (generator).

Storm water Pump Stations 5 and 6

Pump Station 5 is located on Acme’s C-17 Canal, west and north of the Birkdale Civic Site. It consists of two (2) 10,000-gpm electric submersible pumps. It provides flood protection for 195 acres within the Southshore 2A/Twelfth Fairway area.

Pump Station 6 is located on the C-8 Canal just south of the C-51 West Canal. It consists of two (2) 62,000-gpm electric pumps manufactured by MWI. Each pump is powered by a 200-hp electric motor. A 2,000-gallon, above-ground Convault diesel fuel tank serves the Pump Station’s 450-kW back-up Gen-Set (generator).

Storm water Pump Stations 7, 8 and 9

Storm water Pump Station 7, located in the northwestern-most part of Wellington, along Flying Cow Road, discharges storm water runoff from Wellington Environmental Preserve through the Acme C-1 Canal, and discharges it directly into the SFWMD C-51 West Canal. This station includes three (3) 50,000 gpm electric belt-driven vertical axial flow discharge pumps, a 48-inch gravity discharge gate/pipe, a 750-kW backup generator and building, debris removal system, and a box culvert under Flying Cow Road.

Storm water Pump Station 8 includes two 60,000-gpm electric-belt-driven vertical axial flow discharge pumps, standard concrete intake and discharge bays, a 450-kW diesel backup generator system and building, 42-inch discharge pipes, a debris removal system, and electrical and telemetry facilities.

Storm water Pump Station 9 includes two 45,000-gpm electric-belt-driven vertical axial flow discharge pumps, concrete intake bay, a created canal intake including a Flying Cow Road concrete box culvert superstructure, a 450-kW diesel backup generator system and building, 42-inch discharge pipes, a debris removal system, a 72-inch by 72-inch sluice gate, piping, electrical, and telemetry facilities, and state-of-the-art security features.

Pump Station 10

Pump Station 10 withdraws water from Acme’s C-6 Canal to hydrate the wetland in a 93-acre area known as Big Blue Preserve. This pump station consists of one (1) 6,000 gpm electric axial flow pump with telemetry controls. The operation of the pump was permitted by SFWMD for a wet season operating schedule (June through November).

Peaceful Waters Sanctuary

The Peaceful Waters Sanctuary is a 26-acre wetland park, created by the conversion of five wastewater percolation pond cells and a peak flow storage pond adjacent to Acme’s wastewater treatment plant. The necessary infrastructure was installed to utilize reclaimed water for wetland hydration. The site was transformed into a mosaic of diverse wetland habitats that support multiple ecosystem uses and wildlife benefits. The wetland accommodates varying water depths, enhancing the wildlife habitat. The environmental benefits of the park are the creation of a wildlife habitat that is available during dry periods (winter season), treatment of the WWTP effluent to remove nutrients, passive recreation that enhances the citizens’ use of Village Park, and an educational platform to study Florida’s wetland flora and fauna.

Peaceful Waters Sanctuary includes plant communities of inland slough, emergent freshwater marsh, tropical hardwood trees, South Florida pine, and 1,500 feet of boardwalk and 1 mile of walking paths. Approximately 14,000 upland shrubs, plants, trees, and aquatic plants were planted for this project. Thousands of gallons per day of treated secondary effluent water from the adjacent treatment plant augment the storm water to provide design flows through the wetland. Wetland plants act like a natural filter removing and utilizing the beneficial nutrients available in the water. An average of 2 million gallons per week of treated effluent is allowed to flow through and into the Sanctuary. Water levels are managed by the Wellington Utilities department, and all educational and recreational activities are managed by the Wellington Parks and Recreation Department.

Wellington Environmental Preserve (Basin B Project)

Acme’s Basin B Project (now known as the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Habitat) improves water quality entering the Everglades by routing the storm water runoff from Acme Basin B through the constructed Environmental Preserve, and then through STA 1E to remove nutrients before being discharged into the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

The Wellington Environmental Preserve and passive recreational park consists of the following features:

• 365 acres of wetland/marsh area
• interior uplands and landscaping
• educational and viewing areas
• observation tower
• equestrian and pedestrian trails
• enhanced wildlife habitat (through wetland plantings)
• littoral shelves and sediment traps within the canals
• structural perimeter berm (levee)

Utilities

Wellington’s potable water system is comprised of 21 existing wells and 6 proposed wells for a total of 27 water supply wells (including Wells 26, 27, 28, R-12, R-13, R-14, and R-15), approximately 14.5 miles of water distribution pipe, an 11 million gallon per day treatment facility with a ground storage tank capacity of 4.25 million gallons and a high service pumping capacity of 23 million gallons per day. The water treatment plant was recently upgraded, including new reverse osmosis facilities, a deep injection well for RO concentrate disposal, chemical feed systems and the rehabilitation of the lime softening treatment unit. Other recent improvements include new transmission piping, construction of Re-pump/Storage Station 2, replacement of all water meters (19,691 total), installation of a new fixed base automated reading system and the construction of a city wide wireless area network or WiFi.

The wastewater system includes approximately 161 miles of gravity collection pipe, 102 lift stations, approximately 58 miles of force main pipe, a 4.75 million gallons per day wastewater treatment facility and deep injection well disposal system, and a 93 acre wetland/percolation pond. The treatment plant is currently being expanded to increase capacity to 6.5 million gallons per day and reclaimed wastewater capacity will increase from 1 MGD to 5 MGD. Other recent improvements include system wide lift station control system upgrades, rehabilitation of several older, critical lift stations and the construction of Peaceful Waters Sanctuary, created wetlands which are hydrated with secondary wastewater effluent.