Bradenton expects wastewater infrastructure project to be complete next year

BRADENTON, Fla. — Big upgrades are flowing into the city of Bradenton, as parts of its $100 million wastewater infrastructure project are nearing completion.

The initiative aims to improve operating efficiency and protect the Manatee River.

Donald DeMonia, a construction manager with the City of Bradenton for the past several years, has spent many recent days at the Water Reclamation Facility. He is making sure the wastewater infrastructure project is running smoothly.

“Most of my jobs were wastewater plants and water treatment,” he said.

“This is our brand new, 2,000-gallon clarifier. The capacity on this one — all three of the ones we have now — will fit in here.”

The city’s “Face It, Fix It” initiative is focused on resolving infrastructure issues, including preventing wastewater discharge into the Manatee River.

“Super important,” DeMonia said. “Like everybody, right? We live here — city personnel and residents — we all agree the environment and the river are very important to us. So this is just one piece of the puzzle.”

There are several projects underway, all designed to increase the amount of wastewater this facility can hold, especially during storms.

The plant can hold up to 9 million gallons, but heavy rainfall can still cause problems.

“This is our temporary EQ tank. In heavy rains or flooding, we can store the excess flow into here,” DeMonia said. “And then, when the plant catches up, we can recycle it back through the plant.”

The site treats between 5 to 6 million gallons of wastewater each day, but where the excess water goes is changing.

“Whatever’s excess left over, it used to go to the (Manatee) river,” he said. Now we’re going to inject it down into the aquifer. That’s going to eliminate all discharges through the river.”

There are a lot of layers to managing wastewater, but DeMonia knows Bradenton’s process will be more efficient once this project is complete.

Some of the city’s wastewater infrastructure projects are just weeks away from being completed, while others will wrap up early next year.