Polk’s Cherry Hill water-reuse pilot: what it does
The county is testing advanced water treatment at Cherry Hill. Its current project page says pilot water is not entering the drinking-water supply.
The demonstration is a feasibility pilot, separate from the Cherry Hill water production facility.
Polk County Utilities is testing an additional approach to its future water supply at Cherry Hill: direct potable reuse, often shortened to DPR. The county’s current project page makes an important distinction for residents: this is a feasibility pilot, and water treated and tested by the project is not being introduced into the drinking-water supply at this time.
What is being tested
Direct potable reuse applies additional treatment to reclaimed water to reach drinking-water standards. It uses engineered treatment without the environmental buffer involved in indirect reuse. The county’s project aims to demonstrate whether the process can meet or exceed state and federal standards and provide another future water-supply option.
Reclaimed water travels from the Northwest Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility to the pilot site at Cherry Hill. The pilot is separate from the water production facility. Demonstration testing began in August 2023 and is described as ongoing on the county’s project page.
Why the pilot matters locally
Polk’s water planning has to account for growing demand and the limits of traditional groundwater supplies. The county developed the pilot through an agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Testing a possible supply option is different from authorizing full-scale delivery to customers.
The county’s July 23 background article says future service would require Florida Department of Environmental Protection standards and permitting, and a full-scale facility. It describes potential blending with the existing supply, rather than replacing it. Those are future steps, not a completed change to residents’ tap water.
How residents can learn more
The Utilities project page explains the process and offers private tours for residents, community associations, leadership groups and homeschool groups. Check that page for the current tour request contact and arrangements; a tour requires coordination rather than an unannounced visit.
This explainer was checked against the county’s project page on November 5. It is not a boil-water notice, a report of a new treatment rollout or a claim that a particular household’s water source has changed.
Read the county’s July 23 background report on its water operations and pilot planning.
Prepared from the official source below, reviewed November 5, 2026. This is an independently written summary; the source provides the full notice or report. Dated service and traffic details may change.
Polk County Utilities · current Direct Potable Reuse project page ↗