Public outcry to proposed wastewater discharges off Lake Worth has city officials pondering other options. The proposal included dumping potentially nutrient-laden discharges onto well-known Horseshoe Reef and its massive brain coral, and elicited nationwide outrage from outdoor enthusiasts.

Other initial options include dumping the wastewater into Lake Worth Lagoon or just further out to sea. Critics argue Lake Worth Lagoon itself is under a restoration plan, and that allowing discharges into its slow filtering ecosystem would not dilute the wastewater, but instead negatively impact the environment. Dumping the wastewater farther offshore seems more viable in that the ocean currents can dilute the brackish water more easily, but it’s uncertain what the wastewater’s impact will be on the open-ocean environment. Another option is to follow in the footsteps of Vero Beach. Mix wastewater concentrate with lagoon water and send it through a filtering process of mangroves and marshes to remove nutrients, then allow it to flow into the Lake Worth Lagoon.

In the upcoming weeks, expect the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to make a judgment on Lake Worth’s proposed discharge permit.