Community
Education
Environment
Restoring wetlands
Water resources
Water is a precious resource that most communities cannot afford to waste. In Florida, CF Industries recycles 95 percent of the water used in the mining process and is involved in a project that, when completed, will actually help recharge the aquifer. The idea for the project, called the Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Project, began in late 2003. This effort is particularly important in Florida because of the demands placed on the water supply from agriculture, development, population growth, and other human activities, including mining.
After CF Industries mines phosphate ore from an area, it returns the sand and clay separated from the phosphate to a reservoir, where it can consolidate and compact. This area also serves to capture rain and store water used in mining operations. One such area is being transformed into a treatment wetland through introduction of natural wetland soils and native wetland plants.
Clean water from the wetland will eventually be reintroduced into the aquifer via an injection well. CF Industries plans to inject from two million to four million gallons of clean water a day into the aquifer when the project is completed.