Central Water Reclamation Facility
The Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF) is an ECUA sewage treatment facility, constructed to replace the Main Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. Located in central Escambia County, its construction was expedited following storm surge damage to the Main Street plant during Hurricane Ivan and made possible by a grant from FEMA.
The Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF) began operation in 2010. The $316-million, state-of-the-art facility is the largest public works project in the history of Escambia County. The plant sits on 2,200 acres of land on Old Chemstrand Road near Cantonment. It has been designated as an AWT (advanced wastewater treatment) facility, meaning it will produce effluent of a very high quality, which will be disinfected to the level required for unrestricted exposure to the public. One hundred percent of the reclaimed water from the plant will be reused, eliminating any potential surface water discharge. The CWRF is uniquely constructed to withstand Category Five hurricane force winds, and is more than 50 feet above sea level, removing it from any potential flood issues. Several local firms, employing hundreds of Northwest Florida employees, participated in the design and construction of the facility, three major lift stations and 25 miles of pipeline.