This year’s Earth Day theme of “Restore Our Earth” focuses on natural processes and emerging green technologies that can restore the world’s ecosystems. These are familiar subjects when thinking about the ways we are serving many of our clients in Florida, across multiple disciplines, on projects both old and new.

For example, one of our trademark Water Quality projects, Sweetwater Branch/Paynes Prairie Sheetflow Restoration for the City of Gainesville, restores 250+ acres of natural ecosystems and preserves one of the world-class wetlands of North Florida. Today, the public has direct access to enjoy its natural beauty and wildlife, which includes birds, butterflies, alligators, wild Florida cracker horses, and buffalo. More recently we have been exploring using aquifer recharge wells to restore the ecosystems at Flatford Swamp for Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and Chesnut Park for Pinellas County.

Our reclaimed water services focus on the ‘one water’ concept – an integrated planning and implementation approach to managing our finite water resources. This includes a holistic evaluation of a region’s natural water cycle and sources of supply including potable water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and stormwater. Evaluating reclaimed water within this context identifies the water balance deficits and opportunities for beneficial reuse, long-term water supply resilience, and reliability to meet both community and environmental needs.

In our Solid Waste Discipline, we are breaking ground with emerging green technology in our current project with New River Solid Waste Association (NRSWA) – Florida’s first renewable natural gas pipeline project. We are working to construct a new facility that will capture and convert methane to renewable natural gas.

This Earth Day, we are celebrating that we have the privilege of working together to restore Florida’s natural beauty and improve the sustainability of our state.