Welcome to the
Winter Springs Water
Science Center
Be Water Wise
Curious about the City of Winter Springs drinking water treatment and delivery systems? Wondering how the city plans to modernize local water infrastructure? The Be Water Wise science center is the perfect place to learn about the mechanics behind our operations and what Winter Springs is doing to modernize its aging water treatment systems.
The City of Winter Springs
10000
Residents served
1000000
Gallons delivered each day
100
Miles of drinking water pipes
Quality Tested — Purity Proven
Recent drinking water quality reports — independently carried out by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection — confirm what most residents already know: Winter Springs’ drinking water quality is among the best in Central Florida. Now, we’re working to improve the look, taste and smell of local drinking water, too.
Water Purification & Delivery
Where does your drinking water come from?
Winter Springs eight well pumps draw water from a natural, underground reservoir called the Upper Floridan aquifer.
What factors affect your drinking water’s aesthetics? The Hawthorne Layer and proximity to Lake Jesup impact our wells and increase the amount of normal, biological material for our purification systems to filter out.
Well water is pumped from the aquifer to one of three water treatment plants where it is purified and made safe for drinking.
Drinking Water Aeration & Purification
Aeration removes odor-causing hydrogen-sulfides from the water.
Chlorine purifies the water to ensure that a clean, good tasting product is delivered to homes and businesses.
Water is pumped from groundwater wells into a Purified Water Storage Tank, where it flows through a series of tray aerators and is treated with chlorine.
From the Purified Water Storage Tank, clean and good-tasting water is distributed to Winter Springs residents and businesses.
Where Does the Water Go?
Drinking Water
Winter Springs’ wastewater system is completely independent of the drinking water system. They never cross streams — and drinking water quality is never affected by wastewater.
Waste Water
When wastewater flushes from your toilet, drains from your household sinks, washing machine or dishwasher and leaves your home, it flows through Winter Springs sanitary sewer system to one of two nearby wastewater treatment facilities.
Modernizing Wastewater Treatment
Like all municipal water treatment and delivery systems, wastewater treatment systems operate completely independently of drinking water treatment and delivery systems.
It’s clear that Winter Springs' aging wastewater treatment systems need to be repaired and replaced — and that’s exactly what the “Water Works” program is designed to do.
Mechanical Failure
How did we get here?
Winter Springs wastewater treatment systems, in nearly continuous operation since the 1980’s, are nearing the end of their useful life. Important pipes and valves that transport waste water have experienced failures.
A mechanical failure in January of 2021 resulted in a faulty valve releasing partially-treated wastewater into a permitted stormwater pond.
Immediately, city staff identified the problem, installed temporary fixes to repair the valve and self-reported the incident to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Winter Springs Water Works
To modernize our system and prevent future problems, Winter Springs is investing millions of dollars to upgrade Utility Infrastructure.
Phase I
Upgrades to our Water Treatment Plant
Millions of dollars to modernize water treatment & delivery infrastructure.
Phase II
Drinking Water Taste & Smell Improvements
Improvements that will improve the taste & smell of city drinking water.
Phase III
Wastewater Treatment Plant Replacement
The final phase of the program is the complete replacement of the City’s two wastewater treatment plants and wastewater infrastructure.
Preventing Future Releases
Winter Springs is working with top scientists and engineers to update aging wastewater treatment, collection, conveyance, and transmission infrastructure, increase storage capacity and install new valves and pipes.
Planning for the replacement of existing wastewater treatment plants and infrastructure is underway.
Winter Springs expects to advertise for engineers to be involved in plant designs in late 2022.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2024.
