20世纪90年代末，南马丁地区公用事业公司（SMRU）开始了一项 替代地表含水层原水水源和常规石灰软化处理 使用反渗透技术。SMRU由两家私营企业合并而成 公用事业公司在地表资源方面都遇到了各种困难， 包括盐水入侵和抽水限制。解决办法是开发一个 反渗透处理系统利用深含水层的微咸水，即 不受季节变化的影响，不会导致盐水入侵。 与许多这样的设施一样，该项目的物流和财务可行性取决于 关于反渗透浓缩液的处理。排放到局部微咸水表面 waters提出了一个成本效益高、物流简单的解决方案。深度开发的前景 注水井处置成本过高，因为处置成本接近 反渗透设施本身的成本。SMRU启动了一项许可可行性计划 分析和应用最具成本效益的方案。结果是显著的 在社区会议和与之相关的公开听证会上发表的公开反对意见 许可证审查。 SMRU开发了第三种方案，其成本和物流成本逐渐提高 然而，它解决了公众表达的担忧。评估和评估 进行了许可程序，将浓缩物排放至浅层（15至20英尺） （深海）沿海水域。尽管离排水口的距离越来越远 安装包括海底定向钻井，该解决方案满足 项目对成本效益的要求，并解决了公众对 集中处理。 本文描述了迭代许可过程、公共投入因素、开发 海洋排放替代方案，以及浓缩物排放的实施 南马丁地区公用事业公司。

In the late 1990s, South Martin Regional Utility (SMRU) embarked on a program of replacing surficial aquifer raw water sources and conventional lime softening treatment with reverse osmosis technology. The SMRU came about from the merger of two private utilities, both of which had experienced various difficulties with surficial sources, including salt water intrusion and pumping restrictions. The solution was to develop a reverse osmosis treatment system utilizing a deep aquifer source of brackish water that is not subject to seasonal variation and would not result in salt water intrusion. As with many such facilities, the logistical and financial feasibility of the project hinged on disposal of the reverse osmosis concentrate. Discharge to local brackish surface waters presented a cost effective and logistically simple solution. The prospect of deep well injection for disposal was cost prohibitive in that the disposal costs approached the costs of the RO facility itself. The SMRU embarked on a program of permit feasibility analysis and application for the most cost effective option. The result was significant public opposition that was aired in community meetings and public hearings related to the permit review. The SMRU developed a third option that had incrementally higher costs and logistical difficulty, however, it addressed the expressed public concerns. An evaluation and permit process was undertaken to discharge the concentrate to shallow (15 to 20 feet deep) coastal ocean waters. Although the distance to the outfall was further and installation included directional drilling under the ocean floor, this solution met the project requirements for cost effectiveness and addressed public concerns regarding concentrate disposal. This paper describes the iterative permitting process, public input factors, development of the ocean discharge alternative, and implementation of the concentrate discharge for South Martin Regional Utility.