Panama City Beach completes new reclaimed water system

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Panama City Beach and The Northwest Florida Water Management District celebrated the completion of the Panama City Beach Parkway Reuse Transmission System during a special ceremony Thursday.

The Parkway Reuse Transmission System runs underground along Panama City Beach Parkway, from north Glades Trail to Chip Seal Parkway. The system will provide access to reclaimed water to more than 200 existing connections and more than 1,500 new connections. The project will also provide as much as 400,000 gallons of reclaimed water per day for the Publix Sports Park Complex. The use of reclaimed water allows for residents, businesses, and sports complexes to continue to water their lawns while reducing the withdrawals of potable, or drinking, water.

“Everything that we do is underground, so it doesn’t have an impact visually, but it is very important for our community. It’s conserving our potable water supplies, it’s providing an alternate form of irrigation water so people can use it, and we can still enjoy the lovely landscaping, recreation areas, nice turf fields and golf courses. It’s a win win for our community,” City Utilities Director Mark Shaeffer said.

The city provided almost $1.3 million for the project. The district, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection, provided almost $545,000 in grant funding for the project under Governor Ron Desantis’ alternative water supply grant program.

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