The long trip water takes to your kitchen sink

Have you ever stopped to wonder the journey that each drop of water must take to end up in your home or office with a simple twist of the faucet?

According to Pete Debogory, general management of South Walton Utilities Company Inc., it all starts deep below our feet, at the water aquifer, a large reservoir of naturally filtered water which expands from west of Navarre into Bay county. The aquifer is owned by the state and use of it requires permitting.

The wells for South Walton are located near Freeport; currently there are three active wells and two being built. From Freeport, the water is transported by pipes into enormous holding tanks located at the Goldsby Road Pumping Station.

The pumping station currently has two holding tanks with a capacity of 2.5 million gallons of water each and produces 2,500 gallons per minute, or about 3 million gallons per day. It has a capacity of 5 million gallons per day. According to Debogory, only one tank is currently in use, while the other was recently constructed with matching grant funds from the Northwest Florida Water Management District in anticipation of the increased demand for water in the area. The pumping station also has a large backup generator in case of power outages.

At the pumping station a weak solution of chlorine is added into the water, Debogory insists the water quality is so pure that it is not needed, but they are required by state law to be added. "No fluoride is in the solution since the water naturally contains the American Dental Association's recommended amount," said Debogory.

From the pumping station the water will be stored in water towers. There are four towers in the area, totaling 1.5 million gallons in storage capacity.

The towers ensure water pressure and are a safety measure in case of a fire during a power outage, allowing for enough water pressure to be generated for consumption by the fire department.

From the towers, the water will go through a maze of pipes and into the homes and offices of residents served by SWUCI. Finally, the water will appear with the turn of a faucet.

Planning ahead for the increased water demand, SWUCI has expanded infrastructure which will be sufficient in capacity for the next 10 years, said Debogory.

Next month, the next consumer confidence report by SWUCI will be going out to its members. The report details the percentage of contaminants in the water. It also explains where the contaminants may have entered the water supply.