Projects in Progress - Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF)

The Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF) is a $7.272 million cooperative water quality improvement effort by the LCWA, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The project uses off-line alum injection to remove pollutants flowing out of Lake Apopka into the rest of the Harris Chain of Lakes. Lake Apopka was historically one of the most polluted lakes in Florida, but restoration efforts are underway and there have been some signs of improvement. Still, discharge from the lake is the single largest source of controllable pollution in Lake County.

The NuRF project has been under development since 2002 and many technical and permit-oriented documents exist. Links to general information are provided below. Preliminary facility operation began March 2, 2009. Updates will be added to this website as they come available.  Please contact the LCWA for more specific information.

Links to Nutrient Reduction Facility Information:

	Fact Sheet
	NuRF Powerpoint Presentation
	Functional Illustration
	History of the Harris Chain
	Description of the NuRF Project

NuRF Aerial 10/04/07. Note the intersection of HWY 48 and the Apopka-Beauclair Canal at the bottom center of the photo.
	LCWA and Gibbs & Register staff at the NuRF site.
Water Resources staff members Lance Lumbard (left) and Ron Hart (right).
	Heavy equipment operates within floc pond at NuRF site.
NuRF Aerial 05/09/08. Settling ponds 1 and 2 are in the center of the photo. The containment area and the dewatering building will be located in the area above and to the left of the ponds. Excavated material is being placed to the right of the ponds.
	The centrifuge gets set into place 7/17/08.
Alum storage tanks and pump building 08/05/08.
	Pond 1 nearing completion 08/05/08.
Lance Lumbard and Ron Hart inspect the conveyor system. 08/05/08.
	Slope stabilization using hydroseeding 9/17/08
Centrifuge building nearing completion 9/10/08.

March 20, 2009 photo of completed project.  Settling ponds (upper center) cover nine acres each. These ponds allow settling of the nutrients, specifically phosphorous, from the water flowing down the Apopka-Beauclair Canal (right side of photo top to bottom) from Lake Apopka. Six aluminum sulfate (alum) storage tanks (mid-left within the white oval) sit aside a building which feeds alum into the water, a crucial step in making the settling of nutrients in the ponds possible. A $1 million centrifuge (bottom center) and tank controls the dewatering aspect of the facility. The nutrients and alum form an inert cakey substance which is not harmful to the environment.