Delivering the world’s largest groundwater recharge wetland
Florida is often defined by its coastline, but its water supply depends largely on groundwater. More than 90% of the state’s drinking water comes from the Floridan Aquifer.
As population growth accelerated, withdrawals from the Upper Floridan Aquifer began to outpace natural recharge, threatening a resource that supports more than 10 million people and $7.5 billion in agriculture.
To address the growing concerns about groundwater depletion, Pasco County Utilities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District developed a reclaimed water project, known as the 4G Ranch Wetlands.
Since 2010, Jacobs has worked with Pasco County Utilities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to deliver the 4G Ranch Wetlands, from design and permitting through construction and operational support. The 4G Ranch Wetlands transforms uplands pasture into a multifunctional groundwater recharge wetland that reverses regional drawdowns.
of new wildlife habitat created across 15 constructed wetland cells
people and $7.5B in agriculture supported with a more sustainable water supply
of Florida’s freshwater is provided by the Florida Aquifer System
A nature-based solution for long-term water resilience
Designed to work collaboratively with a 500-million-gallon reclaimed water reservoir to balance wet-weather supply and dry-weather demands, the 4G Ranch Wetlands are sized to receive five million gallons of reclaimed water per day to passively recharge the surficial and Upper Floridan aquifers, while protecting water quality through natural biological treatment. In addition to the benefits to the aquifer and the regional water resources, the project supports restoration of the ecological functions of more than 2,000 acres of historically degraded lakes and wetlands, and creates 176 acres of new wildlife habitat within the 15 constructed wetland cells.
The wetlands are an important component of the region’s objective to provide recharge in an area of hydrologic stress. The system incorporates a range of wetland ecotones – the transitional area between different ecosystems - designed for long-term ecological stability. Grading and planting plans were developed to minimize earthmoving while establishing plant communities adapted to varying water depths.
Each wetland cell includes distinct zones, from deep areas supporting floating vegetation to emergent marshes, cypress-dominated shallows and transitional upland grasses along berms.
The natural wetlands in the area are expected to significantly benefit from the additional recharge with no discharge from the facility to surface waters. The natural design of the wetland cells blends in with the natural environment, creating biological diversity and providing significant additional acreage of wildlife habitat. The wetland cells naturally improve water quality, including removal of nitrate-nitrogen from reclaimed water before infiltration. These biological processes driven by wetland soils and vegetation protect both groundwater and adjacent surface waters.
The 4G Ranch Wetlands lifecycle costs are expected to be approximately half of what a conventional system would have cost to Pasco County, making it an example of sustainable water management. It also demonstrates how organizations can utilize public-private partnerships to maximize the benefits of water reuse, as well as their value for both ecological restoration and water supply resilience.
The project has received numerous accolades, including:
- 2019 ENR Southeast Best Projects: Award of Merit (Water/Environment)
- 2018 Water Environment Federation Project Excellence Award
- 2018 National Association of Clean Water Agencies National Environmental Achievement Award
- 2018 American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientist Excellence in Environmental Engineering Honor Award for Design
- 2017 Florida Water Environment Association’s David W. York Water Reuse Project of the Year Award
- 2017 Tampa Bay Association of Environmental Professionals’ Environmental Excellence Award
- 2017 International Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice
