The City of Delray Beach Water Treatment is a 26.0 Million Gallon per Day (MGD) lime softening treatment facility which provides potable water to customers within the City's service area.

Water is pumped from underground wells, through transmission lines to the water treatment plant. Water is pumped from 30 wells located throughout the city.

The first step of the treatment process is called aeration. Aerators provide pretreatment of raw water prior to the lime softening process. The aerators remove methane gas, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide while adding oxygen to promote the conversion of dissolved compounds into removable particles.

From the aerators the water enters the clarifiers, where lime, polymer, polyphosphate, chlorine, fluoride, and ammonia are added. Clarifiers provide a settling basin for removal of solids in the treatment process. The units utilize a rapid turbo mixer in a center well. A motorized collection rake moves material to a center pit. Each clarifier is 65 feet in diameter, 480,000 gallon capacity, and can process 9.3 MGD.

From the clarifiers the treated water travels to the filters, where any remaining sediment is removed. This type of filter is a gravity type multi stage filter. There is gravel on the bottom, sand, and anthracite. Water flows into the top of the filter and by gravity flows out the bottom, removing all remaining sediment from the prior treatment processes.

The treatment process is now complete. The city's water supply now meets the stringent requirements of local, state and the federal guideline.

See important information about water quality or how Delray Beach drinking water compares with Federal and State standards by following these links to our Water Quality Chart and the Consumer Confidence Report.