NEWS
Florida Specifier Podcast
Episode 14: Mark Merkelbach and Vince Seibold
June 12th, 2024
In this episode, Ryan and Brett take a trip down Memory Lane and wind up sitting down with water quality innovators, Mark Merkelbach and Vince Seibold with Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG) to take a glimpse back on the original Florida Specifier article from 2020; how they got their start; the risk and reward of getting paid for performance, not by the project; and some other projects besides that famous one on Doctor’s Lake. We even get a preview of how they’re expanding their reach to cover all of Florida and expanding the number of pollutants they’re able to treat as well. You won’t want to miss this one.
April 4th, 2024
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group, LLC is constructing our first media processing facility in Florida. Groundbreaking began in January 2024 and we will be operational in May 2024. This facility is located in Lake County, centrally located to support water quality projects throughout the state. This facility has the ability to custom blend and generate media to meet any project's water quality requirement and schedule.
Project to replenish groundwater progresses in Clay County
Posted on www.sjwmd.com, Jan. 11, 2024
“During 2023, the District’s Governing Board approved contracts to begin construction of the three main project components — a surface water intake and pump station, pipeline and treatment system...
...Because the water in Black Creek contains natural tannins and lakes Brooklyn and Geneva are clear water lakes, the pumped water will be treated to remove the color. The treatment system will also remove nutrients. ”
A major water resource development project in north Florida is well on its way to fruition, with multiple benefits for the region’s water resources. The Black Creek Water Resource Development Project recently achieved milestones to move the project closer to its projected late 2024 completion.
NRRI News, University of Minnesota
By June Breneman, October 3rd, 2022
“Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG) partners with NRRI to innovate for water quality”
Sometimes, the best ideas were there all along. They just need updating for today’s challenges.
By enhancing Mother Nature’s water filter, innovator Bill Lucas combined an idea to reuse drinking water treatment sludge in manufactured wetlands to remediate phosphorous at point and non-point water sources.
Press Release December 9th, 2021
SFWMD Governing Board Approves Contract to Build Lower Kissimmee Water Quality Project
After almost two years of planning and analysis, we are finally moving forward with the EIP design build team and South Florida Water Management District on the Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) Hybrid Project on the north end of Lake Okeechobee. This project features SWIG’s Phosphorus Elimination System (PES), a non-chemical based, vertical filtering wetland system that removes particulate and soluble phosphorus. The treatment footprint occurs in a fraction of the area typically required by an STA. This fully scaled technology has also been in operations at the Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, Clay County also referred to as Doctors Lake (All — SWIG (swig-llc.com)) since May 2020.
“This project is a combination of standard STA design with the addition of a “phosphorus elimination system,”
or PES, supplied by Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group LLC.”
Florida Specifier
By ROY LAUGHLIN, October-November 2021
The South Florida Water Management District is heading in a new direction with stormwater treatment areas it’s building as part of the Everglades restoration effort.
WEFTEC 2021 CHICAGO
October 18, 2021
We’re so excited to share the good news: Mark Merkelbach presented at the WEFTEC Conference: Using a Pay for Performance Contract to Deploy an Innovative Phosphorus Removal Technology. He spoke about our innovate PES technology used in Doctors Lake project, its performance and our experience with Pay Per Performance contracts.
“Thousands of acres of stormwater treatment areas (STAs) combined with a new technology could help remove phosphorus from Kissimmee River water before it reaches Lake Okeechobee.”
LAKE OKEECHOBEE NEWS
By Katrina Elsken May 31, 2021
Hybrid filters in STAs could increase phosphorus reduction in water from Kissimmee River
“We look forward to leveraging Eric’s extensive entrepreneurial and nutrient removal experience during the next phase of our journey to prevent nutrients from entering waterways”
Press Release March 1st, 2021
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group, LLC (SWIG) announced today that Eric Stoermer had joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer.
“The Seattle-based company that designed that wetland, Sustainable Water Investment Group (SWIG), used a substance that removes about 95 percent of the phosphorus from already-treated wastewater at a Fleming Island plant.”
jacksonville.com
By Steve Patterson, Florida Times-Union, January 12th, 2021
State officials planning to pump water from dark Black Creek to Keystone Heights want to use filtering lessons from a sewage treatment plant to solve a water-color problem that held up work for two years.
“... our Governing Board members along with members of the Clay County Utility Authority (CCUA) Board of Directors visited the Doctors Lake Phosphorus Removal Pilot Project...”
www.sjrwmd.com
By Dr. Ann Shortelle, December 10th, 2020
I had the great pleasure during the past week to spend important time with members of our St. Johns District Governing Board as they got a first-hand look at some of our water quality and water supply projects in action. If a picture speaks a thousand words, then getting out on these sites in person counts as a full encyclopedia of knowledge.
“The project will remove an estimated 6,500 pounds per year of total phosphorus and will assist in furthering water quality improvements in Doctors Lake and the Lower St. Johns River Basin.”
ClayUtility.org
A partnership project between St. Johns River Water Management District (“SJRWMD”) and CCUA was constructed at CCUA’s Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The innovative pilot project removes phosphorus from reclaimed water before being used for irrigation or entering the Doctors Lake watershed.
“New biological treatment project removes phosphorus from effluent”
florida specifier
By Roy Laughlin, August/September 2020
Seattle-based Sustainable Water Investment Group may be writing a success story in biological treatment to reduce phosphorus from wastewater treatment plant effluent. The company recently completed construction on a pilot project at the Clay County Utility Authority’s Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Facility.
“Wastewater treatment facility uses plants to remove phosphorus ”
Wqpmag.com
By Cristina Tuser, Tuesday, July 28, 2020
A project at the Fleming Island sewage treatment plant is catching 96% of the phosphorus that is usually released into water. The Fleming Island Wastewater Treatment Facility is using plants as part of a demonstration project to remove phosphorus from wastewater that eventually heads toward the Clay County lake.
“Project to cut algae at Doctors Lake may lead to cleaner water around Florida”
jacksonville.com
By Steve Patterson, Saturday, July 25, 2020
A project at the Fleming Island sewage treatment plant is catching 96 percent of the phosphorus that was usually released into water and found its way into Doctors Lake.
“The results show over a 90 percent removal of phosphorus while also removing nitrogen in the effluent.”
Tampabay.com
Monday, July 6, 2020
Nutrient pollution has been a major problem for the state of Florida for decades. Algal blooms have severely affected the water quality in a state whose economy and tourism industry depends on clean water.
“Doctors Lake Phosphorus Removal Pilot Project already showing promise”
claytodayonline.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Another great partnership project is now operational in Clay County as the St. Johns River Water Management District continues work to improve water quality across the region.
““This project is critical to ending the dangerous toxic algae blooms we have see in recent years””
““Scaling and adapting this type of system may help reduce nutrients in many areas of the state””
Claytodayonline.com ~ The Doctors Lake PES system is now online.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Project will reduce phosphorus levels by 90% to prevent algae blooms.
sjrwmd @twitter
Monday, June 8, 2020
District pilot project working to reduce phosphorus discharges to Doctors Lake watershed.
Sjrwmd @Twitter
Friday, March 6, 2020
Thanks to Steve Patterson, @jaxdotcom, for visiting our innovative phosphorus removal project in Clay County. The pay-for-performance project is under construction at the Clay County Utility Authority’s Fleming Island wastewater treatment plant.
Doctors Lake Phosphorus Removal Pilot Project Groundbreaking Ceremony!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - 9:30 a.m.
Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Plant, 1770 Radar Road, Fleming Island, FL 32003
Design/build team and senator Bradley
“North Florida land trust’s partner, SWIG, will lead the Doctors Lake Phosphorus removal pilot project”
MYJAXCHAMBER.COM
Published Monday, September 23, 2019 2:45 pm
North Florida Land Trust and its partner, Sustainable Water Investment Group or SWIG, will join the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Clay County Utility Authority on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 a.m. for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Doctors Lake Phosphorus Removal Pilot Project. SWIG will be leading the project to reduce the phosphorus discharge from the Fleming Island Regional Wastewater Plant using state-of-the-art technology they have developed. NFLT partnered with SWIG approximately four years ago to identify areas where this technology can be used to clean up waterways.
“Florida’s $2 billion Lake Okeechobee reservoir plan won’t clean water enough, Everglades expert says”
Florida phoenix
By Julie Hauserman August 16, 2019
A multi-billion-dollar government plan to build a reservoir to curb South Florida’s noxious algae outbreaks sparked by manure, fertilizer and sewage pollution is drawing renewed opposition, with a top wetlands expert concluding that it’s not big enough, it’s designed wrong and could end up fouling the Everglades.
“The company, Sustainable Water Investment Group LLC, will be paid for each pound of phosphorus it captures, and has offered similar services to local governments and utilities.”
jacksonville.com
Posted Feb 1, 2019 at 8:45 PM
DeSantis budget fueling hopes for First Coast water-cleaning projects.
Although the Everglades had top billing, the state budget Gov. Ron DeSantis recommended Friday could significantly boost projects to protect and clean Northeast Florida’s water…