"We want to inform the residents because Miramar is going through many changes. An educated consumer is more capable to deal with the changes going on in the city," Cevieux said.
Miramar is in the midst of a Wastewater Flow Transportation Project that includes pipeline construction.
Water officials also hope the tour will shed the negative connotation behind the term "wastewater."
"The process of reclaiming water satisfies an integral role in water conservation," Cevieux said.
Miramar is among municipalities such as Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton and Miami that participate in reclaimed water programs, according to Cevieux.
"It is civically and environmentally responsible to reclaim wastewater," said Brij Garg, director of Public Works/Utilities.
The idea to open the facility, 13900 Pembroke Road, to the public came from Vernal Spence, the city's wastewater superintendent, who wants people to understand the process.
"Miramar built a $67 million plant six years ago and nobody knows what actually takes place in the inside," he said. "Nobody knows what happens when you flush."
Spence said many useful things come out of "that which you send to me." In addition to processing water to be reused for irrigation purposes, the wastewater plant produces fertilizer and methane gas to be used as a substitute for diesel fuel.
"People leave saying, `Oh my god, I didn't know this,'" Spence said.
The plant already had received some visitors, such as new city employees and college students who are writing their thesis on a subject related to the facility.
Because of the facility's state-of-the-art equipment, officials from older facilities also have toured the plant, Spence said, some of them visiting from as far as Egypt, Brazil and Haiti.
The tours also have another purpose: introducing high school seniors to a possible career path.
"We're looking to impact students' career decisions and let them know they can go into vocational schools. It's just giving them options outside of college," Cevieux said.
"There are a lot of good jobs and careers in this field for people coming out of high school and college. Florida is 800 operators short," Spence said.
The superintendent teaches a course at Piper High School in Sunrise "to try to fill this void." Students who attend Spence's class earn a certification of completion, which makes them eligible to take the "Class C" water treatment state certification exam.
"Once they're certified, they can start working in Florida," Spence said.

(source) Sun Sentinel (Helena Poleo) 1-28-04