FPUA Awarded $5 Million State Appropriation for Sewer Plant Relocation

Gov. DeSantis signed the FY24 Florida budget this morning which included this appropriation.

FORT PIERCE, FL – Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) has received a $5 million appropriation toward our sewer treatment plant relocation project from the Florida Legislature. The funds will be used toward the construction of the new Mainland Water Reclamation Facility, which is critical to relocating the existing wastewater treatment plant off of the shores of the Indian River Lagoon.

“We are eternally grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, and especially Representative Dana Trabulsy and Senator Erin Grall, for their unending support and for making this appropriation possible,” said FPUA Utility Director Javier Cisneros. “The relocation of our aging sewer treatment plant is our single largest active project, and we are proud to bring state support for our project to this community. ”

This appropriation also represents a proactive effort by FPUA to secure grant funding in support of the relocation project and other critical utility projects. FPUA’s Public Affairs and Sustainability Department, focused both on public engagement and grants, has submitted nearly $60 million worth of grant proposals over the last 18 months. “These grants provide a great savings to our customers, who would otherwise be funding these critical infrastructure projects through rates,” said Public Affairs and Sustainability Manager Rachel Tennant.

On June 15, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Framework for Freedom Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 which included hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated specifically to protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon. This budget “allows us to continue to provide the commitment to our communities to position Florida as a leader in environmental protection,” said Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Shawn Hamilton, during remarks at the budget signing.

This critical project removes the existing island sewer treatment plant from the shores of the Indian River Lagoon, and places the new treatment plant five miles west, far away from the lagoon and in an industrial area away from neighborhoods. The project will replace aging infrastructure with new technology, increase resilience, limit potential environmental impacts, and better serve the community.

The upgraded plant will be more energy-efficient and cost less to operate, saving our customers money. Its location next door to the Florida Municipal Power Agency’s natural gas power plant adds a unique sustainability element to the project too. The project will reduce an average two million gallons per day of draw from Florida’s aquifers by instead utilizing reuse water from the sewer plant for the 300 MW power plant cooling towers.

The Mainland Sewer Treatment Plant is a testament to FPUA’s commitment to providing the highest quality services to our community. We are honored and thankful to have been awarded this funding, and look forward to serving our customers with a new sewer treatment plant in the near future.

To learn more about this important relocation project, visit www.sustainablesewer.net.

About FPUA: Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is a municipal, not-for-profit utility provider. FPUA’s mission is to provide our customers with economical, reliable, and friendly service in a continuous effort to enhance the quality of life in our community. Fort Pierce is one of more than 2,000 communities in the United States served by a community-owned electric utility, and one of very few who also provide water, wastewater, natural gas, and Internet services. Public utility systems are owned by the people they serve. All benefits from our locally controlled utility remain right here in the community. Additional information is available at www.fpua.com.

Click Here – Printable PDF