Dana O'Connor
Key Points
- The city of Apopka has restored its Lust Road reclaimed water facility so it can treat canal water after nearly eight years without full treatment operations, following more than $221,000 in repairs.
- The restored facility features a 3-million-gallon tank, two 10-million-gallon ponds, and is expected to reduce groundwater reliance and enhance water conservation when canal levels permit.
- The Lust Road facility served as a repumping station for eight years before its restoration on Oct. 15, allowing canal water withdrawal when conditions permit.
The city of Apopka has restored its Lust Road reclaimed water facility so it can treat canal water after nearly eight years without full treatment operations, following more than $221,000 in repairs.
The North Shore facility was restored to operational condition Oct. 15, according to Steven Montiero, the city’s director of public information. The restoration allows the city to withdraw water from the canal connecting to Lake Apopka when water levels and permit conditions allow.
“The facility was not completely offline during that period,” Montiero said in an Oct. 19 email to The Apopka Chief. “During the preceding eight years, the facility primarily served as a repumping station, moving reclaimed water from the City’s Cleveland Street Water Reclamation Facility for offsite distribution.”
Montiero said the specific reason canal withdrawals were discontinued remains unavailable.
The restoration cost $221,806.61, excluding city labor expenses. Work included pond liner repairs, vegetation removal, pump and valve repairs, electrical improvements and equipment painting.
Additional improvements included replacement of an electrical panel and enclosure, installation of new analyzers and flow and turbidity meters, instrument calibration and upgrades to the facility’s control systems.
The project was funded through the city’s wastewater treatment and plant maintenance budget. Although the restoration was not originally budgeted for fiscal year 2026, funding became available through cost savings and the deferral of other projects, Montiero said.
A February assessment identified equipment requiring rehabilitation, including chlorine treatment components and water-level transmitters. The assessment also documented structural concerns at the transfer pump station, vegetation affecting the facility’s sand filters and the need for automation testing before startup.
The St. Johns River Water Management District supported the restoration by performing canal vegetation management. The city remains responsible for maintaining and operating the facility.
Commissioner Sam Ruth praised the restoration in an Oct. 15 Facebook post, crediting cooperation among city staff, district officials and the city’s leadership.
“In only five months on the job, our new leadership team, city staff and district partners worked together to return the plant to its original design and restart operations,” Ruth wrote.
Ruth also credited former Mayor Joe Kilsheimer’s administration and the district with establishing the project’s original funding, while acknowledging Mayor Nick Nesta’s oversight of the restoration.
According to Ruth, the facility includes a 3-million-gallon tank, two 10-million-gallon storage ponds, three 250-horsepower pumps and two 10,000-gallon chlorine tanks.
The restored facility is expected to supplement the city’s reclaimed water supply when canal and lake levels permit, providing greater flexibility in meeting demand.
“This supplemental source is intended to reduce reliance on groundwater from the Floridan aquifer and support water conservation efforts,” Montiero said.
City officials said repairs and upgrades to the facility’s pumps, controls and monitoring equipment are intended to improve operational reliability.