ALVA, Fla. — The pipes started flowing shortly before noon on Tuesday at a site east of Alva.
The goal of the new ALJO Four Corners Rapid Infiltration Project, unveiled by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), is to dramatically reduce the amount of toxic nutrients that get into our local waterways.
During the rainy season, the Army Corps of Engineers releases water from Lake Okeechobee. When it comes down the Caloosahatchee River, it often brings phosphorus and nitrogen, which can lead to toxic algae blooms in our canals and at our beaches.
“We’re putting (the discharged water) into a separate holding area, so it’s not going right into the river,” said Chauncey Goss, the Board Chairman of the SFWMD.
Once in the holding area, the water will seep through the ground and eventually into the river.
“By the time it gets to the river, in a couple years after going underground, it will be cleaned,” Goss said.
The SFWMD says they will be able to remove 1.2 metric tons of phosphorus from our waterways every year along with more than 39 metric tons of nitrogen.
“We’re taking dirty water out of the river system. So that water will not impact the Caloosahatchee, which is really important,” Goss said. “As much dirty water as we can keep out of the Caloosahatchee that’s good for all of us.”
