Equipment failure interrupts reclaimed water service

An equipment failure means reclaimed water users in the county will experience low pressure over the next few days, the county reported on Friday morning.

A failure at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility resulted in halting of service on Thursday, Nov. 17, for residents west of 63rd Avenue East and 33rd Street East in west and northwest Bradenton. That service will not resume until repairs have been completed.

The Southwest Facility is the largest of the three county wastewater treatment plants and having it off-line may limit reclaimed water availability in other areas of the county. Completion of the repairs with a return to normal pressure is anticipated early next week. Notification will be provided by the Utilities Department upon system reactivation.

For the next few days, the Utilities Department is asking that all reclaimed users limit usage to the absolute minimum. It is typical for plants and grass to enter a more dormant stage that requires less water at this time of the year, so once-a-week watering is sufficient, the county said.

Residents with non-reclaimed services have been limited to a once-a-week watering schedule since early 2007.