AWT = Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT)

Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) is a proven solution to improve canal water quality on Marco Island. This technology goes beyond standard wastewater treatment to remove harmful nutrients, pollutants, and suspended solids—restoring our waterways to a cleaner, healthier state.

What is it?

Awareness Campaign

WE'RE SPONSORING
AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

In our May 2025 survey, RCSCC members identified Canal Water Quality Improvement as the #1 priority for our community.

We’re taking action to raise awareness, share facts, and promote real solutions—starting with AWT.

HERE ARE THE FACTS

Facts

Long-Term Pollution Trends

20 years of water sampling show rising nutrient pollution and declining water quality

drastic
oxygen loss

Oxygen levels in our canals have dropped by 70% in the last four years

visible and smelly decline

The water is increasingly smelly, murky, and unhealthy—and residents have taken notice

THESE THINGS MATTER

HEALTH • ECONOMY • PROPERTY VALUES

Polluted canals affect every aspect of life on Marco Island—posing health risks to swimmers, boaters, and pets; threatening our local economy by impacting fishing, tourism, and small businesses; and lowering property values for homeowners living near murky, unhealthy waterways

AND THERE IS HOPE

The good news is that AWT works.

Several Florida communities have successfully restored polluted waterways with AWT—

including examples from Tampa Bay, Naples, and others.

With the right leadership and community support, Marco Island can be next.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

SIGN THE PETITION

To ensure your signature is legally valid, this petition must be signed in wet ink. Please follow these steps:

Click on link below to open petition form.
Download the petition form using the link below.
Print the form on standard paper.
Sign it in ink (no digital or typed signatures).
Mail the completed form to the address listed on the petition.

Your voice matters—thank you for taking the time to make it count.

DOWNLOAD PETITION

SPREAD
THE WORD

Place an AWT awareness sign in your yard
Share this information with friends and neighbors
Ask questions. Stay informed. Join the club!

GET A FREE
YARD SIGN

JOIN THE CLUB

Understanding Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT)

purpose

AWT aims to reduce the level of impurities in wastewater beyond what is achievable with basic biological or secondary treatment. This often involves removing nutrients (phosphorus

technologies

AWT utilizes a range of technologies including:

• Advanced biological treatment: Enhanced versions of biological processes like membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and moving bed bioreactors (MBBRs).
• Physicochemical processes: Processes like deep-bed filtration, floating media filtration, membrane filtration, ozone treatment, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).

benefits

Improved water quality: AWT results in cleaner, safer water for discharge or reuse.

• Nutrient removal: AWT effectively removes nitrogen and phosphorus, which can cause pollution in receiving waters.

• Resource recovery: AWT can enable the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation, industrial cooling, and even potable water supplies.

• Environmental protection: By reducing pollution and enabling water reuse, AWT helps protect the environment and conserve water resources.

cost of awt

On October 7, 2022, the City of Marco Island issued a Request for Information (RFI) related to the best value technology methods to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the Marco Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) reuse water. A response from a firm called Phosphorus Free Water Solutions (NuQuatics) estimated the cost toremove 99% of the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, from the reuse water to be $5,000,000.

examples

• Scottsdale Water Campus: The City of Scottsdale's Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWT) is an example of a sophisticated facility using AWT to produce high-quality recycled water.

water school

In an ongoing quest to bridge the information gap between the scientific community and Florida's citizenry, LAKEWATCH has assembled this series of information circulars that provide a basic introduction to the terminology and concepts used in today's water management arena.