Sept. 18 is World Water Monitoring Day, but for Polk County Utilities, every day is a water monitoring day. Operators test samples from multiple points in the water production and distribution systems seven days per week in six water service areas.
Polk County Utilities (PCU) serves areas throughout unincorporated Polk County from 27 water plants through more than 1,000 miles of pipelines.
PCU operation:
- Produces and distributes 19.7 million gallons of drinkable water each day.
- Collects and treats 9.4 million gallons of wastewater each day.
- Produces and distributes 11 million gallons a day of reclaimed water for irrigation.
Ray Freeman, PCU’s water production manager, oversees processes including the treatment, disinfection and distribution of drinking water. Polk County Utilities has a team of 15 operators, each who are licensed through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Earning and maintaining a water operator’s license requires years of training, testing and continuing education to ensure that the operators are knowledgeable and skilled at producing water that is consistently safe and healthy to drink and use in Polk County homes and businesses. At the Central Water Production Facility, which is located in Bartow, Fla., all operators hold a class A license or are in training for one. The class A license is the highest level of licensure that the state offers.
“This facility is special to Polk County,” says Freeman.
The Central Water Production Facility uses an ozonation process for the treatment of the groundwater. This process was selected to treat the hydrogen sulfide that is naturally occurring in the Upper Floridan aquifer wells. When the groundwater is pulled to the surface and exposed to the atmosphere, hydrogen sulfide is released. Although hydrogen sulfide is not harmful to the human body, the levels found in the Central region produce an unpleasant, rotten-egg smell.
How it works
Pure oxygen is exposed to an electrical current to produce ozone. Next, the ozone is added to the raw water to remove the hydrogen sulfide. After this, the treated water passes through granular activated carbon (GAC) filters to remove any remaining unwanted naturally-occurring components. The result is clean, safe drinking water.
Click here to read about how Polk County is checking for lead in customers’ water lines.
Safety on a Daily Basis
Maintaining PCU’s Central Water Production Facility is a daily effort and one that the water plant operators take seriously. The facility produces an average of 1.5 million gallons of water per day and serves approximately 15,000 customers in the greater Winter Haven area.
“We use all five senses when walking the facility each day,” says Freeman. “We listen for abnormal noises, look for leaks or other issues in our system and observe for odors that could indicate that one of our machines may need maintenance work.”
Garrett Rheiner, regional lead water plant operator at the Central facility, carries out water quality tests. Rheiner, who has achieved an A-level water treatment license, served as chief operator for a utility in Winter Haven before coming to work for Polk County Utilities in 2024.
One of Rheiner’s daily tasks is to check for safe levels of sodium hypochlorite at various points throughout the water production process. Sodium hypochlorite – similar to swimming pool chlorine – is added during the final step of the water treatment process for disinfection. The sodium hypochlorite stays in the water to prevent bacteria growth in the distribution system, ensuring the water is safe when it reaches the customer. According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention, low levels of chlorine help to eliminate germs from water without making users sick.
Rheiner is also responsible for monitoring polyphosphate levels in the water production system. Polyphosphates (corrosion inhibitors) help protect consumers by preventing corrosion in pipes and plumbing. This also extends the life of pipes and distribution systems.
None of the chemicals used in these testing processes are toxic to people or pets. Water that is pulled for quality testing never reenters the water distribution system.
Transparency for Customers
Polk County Utilities is confident and transparent about the quality and safety of the water it delivers to its customers. Each year, consumer confidence reports are shared on the Polk County Utilities website for customers from each service area to review.