Incorporating a new system into existing infrastructure to help communities reduce the amount of wastewater going into the ocean

Central District Injection Wells and Pump Station Design

When people live by the ocean, what happens with their wastewater? It has been a customary practice for coastal communities to send their treated wastewater out into the ocean. In Florida, the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department wanted to find a way to reduce the volume of wastewater going into the ocean, so they joined forces with us to find a solution.

We designed an injection well and pump station that combines wastewater with water from the nearby landfill—the plant includes deep injection wells, a monitoring well, and surface facilities. The well sends the resulting water deep underground. Layers of earth provide a natural filter before the treated water reaches waters’ sources. Nutrient-rich water from the landfill is now repurposed and multiple waste streams no longer flow into the ocean. Integrating this new system with the existing system was challenging, but our team was able to incorporate the design into the existing infrastructure. The result is a new, successful process that other communities can implement.

This project was the catalyst for other injection wells to be proposed and implemented under the Ocean Outfall Legislation Program—a state-wide directive that will reduce the amount of wastewater sent into the ocean from Florida communities.