achieving sustainability through
innovation
Jupiter’s customers expect high water quality and responsible treatment of the environment. Achieving
both of these things can sometimes be a challenge. As a coastal, south Florida community, Jupiter is in a
region with limited fresh water supplies, and oft en experiences drought conditions during the dry season.
Jupiter’s nationally designated “wild and scenic” Loxahatchee River, which runs through the middle of the
community, is subject to environmental harm if local freshwater supplies are depleted or damaged. If use
of the shallow, fresh water aquifer in the Jupiter area is excessive, it can experience salt water intrusion
from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
To ensure a stable supply of drinking water for the area, Jupiter became one of the first large communities
in the United States to employ state of the art membrane water treatment technologies. Using innovative
new processes, Jupiter is able to supply the highest quality drinking water while achieving environmental
sustainability of its local water resources.
Jupiter uses two membrane treatment processes to treat its water: brackish water desalination through
reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) treatment of the fresh water supply. The product of these
two treatment processes is combined to create high quality finished water that is distributed to the
Jupiter region. These water treatment processes produce drinking water that surpasses all existing and
many future quality standards. They also provide a way for Jupiter to use drought-resistant, alternative
water supplies to create ultra-pure water in way that is not harmful to the environment.
The NF process treats fresh groundwater from the shallow, surficial aquifer, which rests about 150 feet
below the ground’s surface. Withdrawal from the surficial aquifer is balanced through treatment of
brackish groundwater from the Floridan aquifer using the RO process. The Floridan aquifer is located
deep underground at 1,500 feet. The depth of this aquifer makes it an ideal alternative water supply that
is drought-resistant.
Both the RO and NF processes operate by forcing
pressurized, raw water through a semi-permeable
membrane that separates contaminants from the
water. The chemical and physical properties of the
membrane, combined with the pressure, remove
unwanted substances from the groundwater.
Membrane treatment also provides a barrier
against viruses, bacteria and many other harmful
contaminants found in raw water.
Jupiter’s RO facility was originally commissioned in
1990, and has been expanded three times since then.
The RO plant removes salt from the Floridan aquifer’s
brackish groundwater producing an ultra-pure water that it is coupled with an ion exchange treatment
unit to stabilize the final product. The RO facility can produce 15.5 million gallons per day of supply, or
75% of the community’s total water demand in times of drought. The desalination facility ensures that the
region’s drinking water demands are met while preserving limited fresh water resources, and promoting
long-term environmental protection.
The NF facility treats the surficial aquifer’s fresh groundwater, and is similar to the RO process. The NF
membrane process rejects unwanted contaminants from the raw water, producing high-quality water
that meets current and future drinking water standards. Jupiter’s NF process is also the first of its kind in
the world, using an innovative “split-feed” design that reduces energy requirements by 30% compared to
conventional designs. Commissioned in 2010, the NF plant is a perfect example of Jupiter’s commitment
to preservation of the environment.
Jupiter’s commitment to the environment also extends to responsible management of the by-products
generated from its membrane treatment processes. Common practice in the industry is to treat these
substances as waste; however Jupiter has found innovative solutions for beneficial recycling and re-
use of its by-products. The brackish water by-product from the RO process is treated and discharged
into a mixing zone in a canal before it is guided into the Loxahatchee River. The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency both approved this
approach to recycle the by-product by returning the water to the ecosystem. The by-product from the NF
facility is also recycled back to the community as a source of irrigation-quality water. This has resulted in
a reusable water supply of over 3 million gallons per day.
With careful planning and a watchful eye on anticipated growth, Jupiter has developed one of the most
advanced water systems in the country. Jupiter’s water system is a workable combination of sustainability
and conservation-oriented use of water resources. The Town is committed to the continued pursuit of
innovative approaches to the treatment and supply of high-quality drinking water.
our vision
The Town of Jupiter’s Water Utility is an
established industry leader committed to
maintaining standards of excellence while
preserving the environment.
The water system strives to provide a cost
eff ective, reliable potable water supply to
customers, and has been recognized time and
again by the industry and regulatory community
for excellence in operations. The water system
employs advanced drinking water treatment
technologies to produce a product exceeding
regulatory standards. The system has been
developed to be dependable and worthy of our
customer’s confidence in the service provided.
The Stormwater Utility strives to minimize
the risk of flooding while working to enhance
runoff water quality to restore, protect and
enhance local water resources. Both utilities
carry out their mission with the long-term goal of
sustainability of our community.
stay informed
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If you have any concerns relative to our water
quality, our professional lab staff would be
pleased to respond at no cost to you. Contact
Rebecca Wilder or Gary Schulze, Jupiter Water
Utilities, 561-741-2601.
Jupiter is proud of its water utility and wants
customers to be informed. For additional
information, visit www.jupiter.fl.us, click on
Departments, and choose Water & Stormwater
Utilities. You can also attend Jupiter Town
Council meetings when Utilities business is on
the agenda. Meetings are held on the first and
third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at
Town Hall, 210 Military Trail, Jupiter. For agenda
information, visit www.jupiter.fl.us/agendas or
call Town Hall at 561-746-5134.
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