The North Florida market is growing at a rapid pace and so is its need for effective maintenance of lifts stations and other key elements of the wastewater infrastructure. Americans are flocking to the sunshine state for a variety of reasons, but what is plainly clear to everyone in the Utility Industry is the strain that rapid growth and development puts on our infrastructure.
Currently, it’s estimated that 845 people are moving to Florida every day and that trend is expected to continue for the next three years. While not all 845 are coming to Northeast Florida, a sizable portion is choosing the largest city in the U.S., Jacksonville. Duval and St. John’s counties are two of the highest destination counties in the state and are quickly racing to maintain utilities to match the influx of new residents. With an average daily usage of 50 gallons of wastewater per resident, the Jacksonville market needs to prepare for an increase of 2,000,000 additional gallons of wastewater, every year, for the next three years. That’s a lot of sewage that needs to be treated, and with the low-lying areas of Florida, that means new and rehabbed lift stations will be required.
A lift station is basically a large wet well, with two alternating pumps that communicate with an electronic control panel. Commercial waste flows into these lift stations and is pumped (lifted), against gravity or head pressure, to the sewer or other destinations. It is critical to maintaining these lift stations in proper condition to avoid Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO).
Wind River Environmental is a leading provider of the maintenance, installation, rehabilitation, and emergency service of these lift stations. By code, they are required to inspect them monthly, and provide a deep cleaning every 6 months, as mandated by the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board (JEPB). For over 30 years, Wind River Environmental has provided service for these lift stations in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, St Augustine, Orange Park, Jacksonville Beach, and other surrounding areas. When Wind River Environmental acquired the business in 2017, the company pivoted from a primary focus on maintenance to adding the complementary service of lift station installations or lift station rehabs, depending on the need. With experts like Mike Small, Rousseau Celestin, and James Conners, who hold the team’s Utility License as well as Plumbing, Septic, and other Licenses, Wind River Environmental has been very successful in supporting the growth of the Jacksonville area. Wind River Environmental has done its part to ensure wastewater can be properly treated and managed to avoid SSOs and other environmental impacts. Wind River Environmental has partnered with several local engineering firms that specialize in wastewater and underground utilities. These partnerships were immediately fruitful as those firms experienced the professional planning, construction, and performance that the Wind River Environmental team consistently provides.
As the North Florida area explodes with growth, the continuation of service to our utilities, the health of the residents, and the fundamental infrastructure required in a burgeoning community can only be achieved through professional services performed in a safe and effective manner by experienced technicians. Wind River Environmental is proud to be that provider for the various towns and counties in North Florida which include Duval, St John’s, Clay, Nassau, Baker, Alachua, and Bradford.