Almost 200 people attended a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday at the new Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility on Energy Lane.
“Almost three years after our groundbreaking event on this land, we are so proud and grateful to be hosting this ribbon-cutting event commemorating completion of our wastewater treatment plant that will serve Fort Pierce for generations,” said event emcee Rachel Tennant, J.D., FPUA director of public affairs and sustainability.
“This morning, we celebrate completion of Phase 1,” she said, adding that Phase 2 construction would continue that same afternoon. Phase 1 of the project was the construction of the treatment plant at a cost of approximately $140 million.
Since February 2023, when the project construction – led by a GlobalTech-Haskell joint venture – began, more than 300 skilled professionals have plied their trades. “We look forward to supporting the FPUA for many years to come,” said Joe Kantor, senior director of Project Development at Haskell, who noted that 350,000 craft labor hours and over 190 miles of electrical wire have gone into the construction.
“We are excited to celebrate the fruits of our labor today,” said Mike Martin, FPUA operations supervisor. “(The plant) was designed with the future in mind.”
Tours for delegations from other states and nationwide municipalities are expected to happen for years to come.
FPUA Supervising Engineer Lugey Dawson, who discussed Phase 2 of the project, called the plant “a remarkable achievement of engineering. This morning represents a significant milestone for the City of Fort pierce,” Dawson said.
Phase 2 consists of 17 different projects that will update the conveyance system to re-route wastewater to the new treatment plant. This includes building a new master lift station on South Hutchinson Island to send all island flows to the new treatment plant. While the project is in construction, both treatment plants will operate.
Predictions for completing the 17 projects and decommissioning the old plant on the island are 2028 or 2029.
The cost of Phase 2 is more difficult to calculate as each project is “re-visited for cost effectiveness and necessity prior to pursuit.” Thus far the cost of the three larger projects of Phase 2 has been contracted at approximately $19.5 million.
“FPUA is working hard to ensure no customer rate increases will be necessary to fund the remainder of this project,” reads a document issued about the project.
One of the 17 projects is already complete.
The project was initiated with a $100 million municipal bond funded by ratepayers, and the grants team has raised $75 million in state and federal grant funding. An additional $5 million state appropriation is pending.
Stressing the importance of staying engaged with customers, Steve DiPalma, vice chair of the Utility Advisory Committee (UAC), said, “The UAC makes space for questions to ensure that the community stays informed not just today but throughout the process.”
“Fort Pierce is all about water. All must be treated with the utmost respect. It’s the lifeline of our economy. We are removing any potential environmental damage to the lagoon,” said Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson.
“This is a great day for One Fort Pierce,” Hudson continued, calling the project “our biggest environmental and economic achievement.”
State Rep. Dana Trabulsy and state Sen. Erin Grall, who worked to procure grant money, both spoke at the ribbon-cutting.
“They have kept all of their promises,” said Trabulsy, recalling conversations with the project leadership team and how they said, “Not only can we do this, we will do it on time.”
“It was clear that the team had done their homework. They have become a model throughout the state,” Grall said.