A Florida state grant of $300,000 (US) will allow St. Lucie County to sell treated wastewater for irrigation on North Hutchinson Island. Funds from the South Florida Water Management District will enable the county to extend pipes from its new plant, which has a treatment capacity of 1.5 US mgd. The plant will pipe treated wastewater to the developed parts of this narrow island.

View of the filtration section of the plant on North Hutchinson Island, a slim barrier island, situated between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. This plant does not discharge to either water body, all the reclaimed water being used for irrigation. The world renowned Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is approximately one mile away on the mainland.

Some of the high rise developments have been alternating between using aquifers and mains water to irrigate lawns and landscape plants. Some aquifer waters are becoming salinated as they are drawn down. Using mains water for irrigation is expensive in Florida. For example, one small condominium, which will benefit from the program, serves only 150 families in three highrise buildings surrounded by lawns and trees. Many families use condos only during winter months, yet this one development uses 35,000 US gallons per day, all year round, simply for irrigation.

Currently, treated drinking water in the area costs $3.52 (US) per thousand US gallons. Reclaimed water will cost $2.52 (US) per thousand gallons.

After aeration treatment, the effluent passes through a sand filtration process before being pumped into the irrigation pipes. When the piping is laid down, the reclamation/irrigation project will save water, money and the environment. While the reclaimed water will have a sulphuric odour, experts say it will be safe to apply on lawns and landscape plants. Such reclaimed wastewater will help to recharge the groundwater supplies while the nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus which remain in the irrigation water will be an added benefit.