The Eastern Water Reclamation Facility (EWRF) is a crucial wastewater treatment plant providing significant water reuse and environmental services to the Orlando, Florida, region. As part of the broader network of Florida wastewater treatment plants, EWRF is owned and operated by the Orange County Utilities Department and commenced operations in 1986 to help meet increasing wastewater infrastructure demands stemming from rapid Orlando metro population growth through the second half of the 20th century. Today, the facility can process up to 18 million gallons daily (MGD), serving approximately 165,000 residential and commercial customers across eastern Orange County and the City of Orlando.
Utilizing advanced treatment methods, including nutrient removal and biosolids processing technologies, EWRF consistently and reliably treats millions of gallons of sewage and graywater daily to stringent water quality standards set by the EPA and the State of Florida. The reclaimed water produced after advanced processing enables sustainable, non-potable water reuse applications. Billions of gallons of reusable water from EWRF are supplied each year to the Eastern Water Reclamation Facility Reuse Service Area for landscape irrigation, agricultural usage, industrial processes, groundwater recharge, and more. This environmentally focused water reclamation and ecologically balanced reuse helps conserve Orlando-region freshwater reserves.
Key treatment steps at EWRF include primary clarification to isolate solids, activated sludge processing using microbial action to consume organics, secondary clarification, filtration, disinfection via chlorination, and post-aeration. Anaerobic digesters help stabilize accumulated biosolids through microbial decomposition while generating small amounts of methane biogas fuel for onsite energy recovery.
With reliable operations for over 35 years producing high-quality reclaimed water and meeting all applicable regulations, the Eastern Water Reclamation Facility continues serving as an essential sustainability infrastructure asset for the Orlando region. Looking ahead, strategic upgrades, capacity expansion projects, and optimized coordination with other area facilities will ensure EWRF remains ready to adapt effectively to meet fast-paced demands from increasing population pressures across central Florida.
EWRF employs a multi-stage treatment train designed to achieve the high effluent quality required for reclaimed water reuse under Florida’s stringent Chapter 62-610 reuse regulations. Influent first passes through bar screens and grit removal at the headworks to protect downstream equipment from debris and abrasive solids. Primary clarification then settles heavier settleable solids before the flow enters the biological treatment stage.
The biological treatment core of EWRF uses an activated sludge process configured for biological nutrient removal (BNR), reducing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations to levels that protect sensitive central Florida water bodies from eutrophication. Following secondary clarification, the treated effluent passes through filtration — typically sand or cloth media filtration — before disinfection via chlorination to meet Florida’s fecal coliform and turbidity standards for reuse-quality water. Post-aeration strips residual chlorine and raises dissolved oxygen prior to distribution. Biosolids generated throughout the process are thickened, anaerobically digested, and processed for beneficial land application or disposal in compliance with EPA Part 503 regulations.
EWRF’s primary distinction within the Orange County Utilities system is its emphasis on high-volume reclaimed water production. The facility delivers reclaimed water through a dedicated purple-pipe distribution network to a broad service area covering residential developments, golf courses, public parks, roadway medians, and agricultural operations across eastern Orange County. Reclaimed water from EWRF is also used for industrial process water and, in some cases, for permitted groundwater recharge to help offset withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer system.
Florida’s water reuse program is among the most advanced in the United States, and EWRF exemplifies this approach by diverting millions of gallons per day away from surface water discharge and into productive reuse. This reduces demand on potable water supplies and helps Orange County meet long-term water resource sustainability goals established by the St. Johns River Water Management District.
EWRF operates continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with licensed Class A wastewater treatment plant operators on-site at all times as required by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) regulations. The facility maintains an FDEP operating permit that establishes effluent limits, monitoring frequencies, and reporting requirements for both its surface water discharge and its reclaimed water distribution system.
Routine operational challenges at a facility of EWRF’s scale include managing peak wet-weather flows during Florida’s rainy season, controlling nutrient levels to consistently meet BNR targets, and maintaining the integrity of the aging biosolids handling infrastructure. Orange County Utilities has invested in ongoing capital improvement projects to address these challenges, including headworks upgrades, aeration system improvements, and expansion of reclaimed water storage capacity to balance seasonal reuse demand fluctuations. Coordination with adjacent facilities in the Orange County Utilities system — including the Water Conserv II facility — allows for system-level load balancing during high-flow events.
EWRF is permitted to treat up to 18 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater. The facility serves approximately 165,000 residential and commercial customers across eastern Orange County and portions of the City of Orlando.
EWRF is owned and operated by the Orange County Utilities Department, a division of Orange County government in Florida. The facility has been in continuous operation since 1986 and is regulated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Reclaimed water produced at EWRF is distributed through a dedicated reuse distribution system to customers within the Eastern Water Reclamation Facility Reuse Service Area. End uses include residential and commercial landscape irrigation, golf course irrigation, agricultural irrigation, industrial process water, and groundwater recharge, consistent with Florida’s Chapter 62-610 water reuse regulations.
Orange County utilities professionals and those working with Florida’s wastewater infrastructure may also find value in exploring the north regional wastewater treatment plant, the central district wastewater treatment facility, and the south district wastewater treatment plant — each serving distinct service areas within the broader Florida treatment plant network.