Water Use & Pollutant Discharge
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) uses water across its operations and facilities. Usage shows an increasing trend even when normalized to account for growth in operations. Utilities, including water, are provided by JEA. The JTA is billed for the water it consumes and the wastewater it discharges to the city of Jacksonville’s sewer system. Significant water uses include indoor potable use, irrigation and bus washing. The majority of the JTA’s potable water usage occurs at the Myrtle Avenue Operations Campus, with bus washing as the primary end-use. This provides an opportunity to minimize water use and control costs, as the cost of water is expected to increase in the future.
Stormwater Management
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has a standard operating procedure in place for Stormwater Pollution Monitoring and Petroleum Spill Containment & Response. The standard operating procedure is intended to reduce the chances of a spill impacting stormwater and mitigate the effects of a spill should one occur. As required by federal law, the JTA also maintains a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan.
Bus and Parts Washing
Bus washing is an important activity at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) that ensures buses are kept clean and attractive for customers. However, this activity is one of the Authority’s most significant water end-uses. Currently, the Myrtle Avenue Operations Campus uses 90% of potable water across all of the JTA, and 90% of that is used by the bus wash. The JTA is exploring solutions that would reduce the impact of the bus wash on its water consumption. Opportunities include a more efficient bus wash, a water reclamation system and the potential for stormwater collection. The uses Smartwasher machines for parts washing, which uses “OZZYJUICE”, a non-hazardous, non-flammable, water-based parts washing fluid designed to be safe for the user and the environment.
Flow and Flush Fixtures
High-efficiency plumbing fixtures were included in the construction of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC) and all other recent new construction projects. Fittings can be easily incorporated into existing JTA-owned buildings and facilities. While replacement of fixtures is sometimes necessary, in most cases reduced-flow accessories (e.g. flow restrictors, flow regulators, aerators and laminar flow devices) can be added to existing fixtures. For lavatory and kitchen faucets, fixtures or accessories specified with a maximum flow of about 0.5 and 1.0 gallons per minute (gpm), respectively, will save water relative to standard fixtures. For showers, 1.5 gpm fittings will be specified. Lower-flow fixtures and fittings are also available and may be appropriate in certain cases. Reducing flow rates of fixtures that supply hot water will also save energy required to heat water. These features can help the JTA reduce its potable water consumption by approximately 20% per year.
Irrigation
Currently, alternative water supply is utilized at the JTB Park-n-Ride and Armsdale Park-n-Ride. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is committed to expanding this practice by replacing current potable water use for irrigation at primary facilities with non-potable water sources. Non-potable water sources include shallow non-potable wells and stormwater collection. This strategy can help the JTA reduce its potable water consumption for irrigation by approximately 98%. Other benefits include avoiding the energy, greenhouse gas emissions and chemicals needed to treat water to a potable standard. Another strategy that can help reduce irrigation water use is water smart irrigation. Efficient sprinkler heads, weather- or sensor-based irrigation controls and properly maintained systems can substantially cut potable water used for irrigation. While the JTA has begun using low-flow irrigation equipment, we are committed to implementing a comprehensive program to replace all systems with more efficient sprinkler heads, drip irrigation and weather- and sensor-based controls that will allow centralized monitoring, scheduling and operation. These measures will allow for more efficient operation and maintenance of the JTA’s irrigation systems, ensuring potentially costly issues are addressed proactively.