Leesburg ready to use recycled wastewater for irrigation

After years of planning, the city is prepared to begin an ongoing effort to conserve resources from the Floridan Aquifer.

More than 1,000 area customers at the Legacy and Arlington Ridge communities will receive recycled wastewater for landscape irrigation in a plan that will save thousands of gallons of fresh groundwater, said Ray Sharp, the city's director of environmental services.

"That provides drinking water to a whole bunch of people," Sharp said of the estimated water savings.

In addition to the residents, the Arlington Ridge Golf Course and a course at the Plantation at Leesburg community will begin using the reclaimed water.

The reuse irrigation is part of a constant search by city staff members to find alternatives to pumping from the state's supply of available freshwater, Sharp said. Beginning in 2013, local governments will be unable to boost aquifer withdrawals and will have to find new sources.