According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud) is proposing a $1.2-million study to investigate pouring reclaimed water on well fields. Swiftmud wants the cities of Clearwater and Largo, Fla., to create wells to store reclaimed water that could be used during periods of severe drought or pumped to wetlands in south-central Pasco County. Pasco would use the new supply of treated wastewater to repair wetlands and replenish ground water at county well fields stressed by years of over pumping.

Step one in this plan is a $1.2-million study to consider storing millions of gallons of excess reclaimed water underground in Largo and Clearwater, a method called aquifer storage recovery. If the study shows storing decontaminated wastewater in pockets of the aquifer is safe, Swiftmud proposes building a $4-million pipeline to send water north to Pasco.