FORT PIERCE — The relocation of the Fort Pierce sewage plant on South Hutchinson Island is slated to get another boost from the Florida Legislature, with the one-year anniversary of construction of the new plant recently taking place.

The new plant is expected to open in October 2025, according to a construction update earlier this year, though a Fort Pierce Utilities Authority spokesperson said the old plant is not slated for full decommissioning until about two years later.

Environmental concerns, particularly due to its proximity to the Indian River Lagoon, had long been a driving force behind efforts to move the water-treatment facility.

The state budget for next fiscal year, passed Friday by the Legislature, includes $2.5 million in funding to FPUA for the relocation.

FORT PIERCE — The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority Board received good news June 20 when staff informed members that they now had $5 million more to aid in the ongoing relocation of the existing wastewater treatment facility from the Indian River Lagoon to its future site adjacent to the Treasure Coast Energy Center.

Sustainability Program Manager Rachel Tennant said utility staff only learned themselves of the $5 million award in Florida appropriations during Governor Ron DeSantis’ June 15 visit to Fort Pierce.

“The Florida appropriations are released basically when the governor of Florida signs the budget into law,” she said. “At the same time, he releases a veto list of projects that are stricken from the budget. We don’t ever really know whether we’ve received the appropriation funding until first, he signs the budget, and second, he has released the veto list. Last week, Governor DeSantis was at the Pelican Yacht Club and signed the Florida State Budget. We were not on the veto list, so we are officially the recipients of $5 million toward the wastewater treatment plant relocation project.”

“Excellent,” FPUA Board Chairwoman Kristina Gibbons exclaimed, as applause broke out on the dais.

Tennant further explained that applying for and winning such funding was a group effort between staff, lobbyists and the local Florida Delegation.

FORT PIERCE — The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority got an unexpected surprise Feb. 6 when Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Utility would receive $15 million in Resilient Florida Grant funding even sooner than previously expected. The FPUA is one of dozens of recipients across the State of Florida to get a piece of the total $274 million grant-funding pie to be distributed within the next few weeks.

Public Affairs and Sustainability Manager Rachel Tennant broke the good news to the FPUA Board as part of her departmental presentation on recent grant-writing efforts. Her relatively new department has submitted more than $40 million in grant proposals over the last several months in hopes of winning financial assistance for the new $80-million water reclamation facility off Glades Cut Off Road that broke ground on Feb. 3. The Utility’s water and sewer customers began paying about $6 extra last October to help fund the relocation of the current plant from South Hutchinson Island.

Fort Pierce - Thursday February 9, 2023: The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) has received a $15 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to assist with the cost of relocating the FPUA sewer treatment plant. The money will help cover the cost of constructing the new Mainland Water Reclamation Facility and for the restoration of 2.23 acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon.

The funding comes from the Resilient Florida grant program. The award was announced last week by Governor DeSantis. The Resilient Florida program aims to enhance Florida’s efforts to protect our waterways, coastlines, and shores using a coordinated approach to coastal and inland resiliency.

On February 6, the Governor announced that money will be available immediately using already-appropriated funding. In the announcement DeSantis said that projects like FPUA’s wastewater treatment plant relocation “will ensure inland and coastal communities are prepared for the impacts of storm surge, hurricanes, and flooding, continuing our aggressive efforts to protect Florida’s natural resources and infrastructure."

Fort Pierce - Wednesday February 8, 2023: The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has broken ground on the new Mainland Sewer Treatment Plant.

The 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, and limit potential environmental impacts.

Construction is slated to be completed by December 2024. The sewer system’s conveyance system will be redirected from eastward to westward flowing at the same time, with plans to operate both plants while the new plant is turned on in phases. The old island plant is expected to be fully decommissioned in 2027.

This video produced by the City of Fort Pierce gives a firsthand look at the FPUA Water Reclamation Facility Groundbreaking on February 3, 2023. Viewers will be able to see drone footage capturing the construction site, view signs representing future buildings, and observe attendees and speakers of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority broke ground on the new Mainland Water Reclamation Facility – a critical project that will replace aging infrastructure with new technology; increasing resiliency, limiting potential environmental impacts, and better serving the community.

FORT PIERCE, February 2023 - Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is excited to announce the long awaited groundbreaking of the new Mainland Sewer Treatment Plant, set to take place on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 2 p.m. at 4515 Energy Lane in Fort Pierce.

The groundbreaking and relocation represent a long-term, shared community commitment to growth and change in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County.

The groundbreaking will double as an informative and educational experience, where community members can get a feel for their new and long-awaited sewer treatment plant…

Fort Pierce - Tuesday January 31, 2023: The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is excited to announce the long-awaited groundbreaking of the new Mainland Sewer Treatment Plant, set to take place on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 2 pm at 4515 Energy Lane in Fort Pierce.

The groundbreaking and relocation represent a long-term, shared community commitment to growth and change in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County.

“After nearly 20 years, and multiple attempts to relocate the plant, local leaders, policymakers, and community members have come together to make this shared dream a possibility,” said Bo Hutchinson, FPUA’s Director of Water/Wastewater Systems.

FORT PIERCE — Conversations began nearly 20 years ago among local leaders and the community about moving Fort Pierce Utilities Authority's wastewater treatment-plant off Hutchinson Island.

Now, in just days, the long-awaited plan to move the aging facility finally will come to fruition as construction starts on FPUA's mainland plant, west of Selvitz Road and adjacent to the Treasure Coast Energy Center.

The public is welcome to attend the groundbreaking at 2 p.m. Friday at 4515 Energy Lane. Guests can tour the property and take a virtual, immersive walk through the future facility, according to an FPUA news release.

FORT PIERCE, December 10, 2022 - The Fort Pierce Utility Authority has launched a new website to provide customers with up updates about the Fort Pierce sewer treatment plant relocation. The website is located at: at www.SustainableSewer.net

Construction of the new sewer plant will begin in January 2023, with an estimated completion date of mid to late 2024. Wastewater will be redirected to the new plant in phases, with an estimated demolition and mitigation date of mid-2027 on South Hutchinson Island.

The plant is being moved to protect the Indian River Lagoon. The move will ensure that the Lagoon is shielded from possible sewer leaks.

FORT PIERCE, October 7, 2022—The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is one step closer to bringing its 20-year-old vision of relocating its aging wastewater treatment plan off Hutchinson Island to fruition.

The Fort Pierce Planning Board last month unanimously approved preliminary plans to relocate the plant to 4515 Energy Lane, west Selvitz Road and adjacent to the Treasure Coast Energy Center.

The total project cost won't be known for up to three months, according to FPUA officials. FPUA has applied for more than $33 million in government grants to help offset that cost.

FORT PIERCE, May 16, 2022— Fort Pierce Utilities Authority is turning to its customers to help move its aging wastewater treatment plant off the Indian River Lagoon.

In 3-2 votes Monday, the City Commission approved 10% increases for water and sewer rates in July and October.

"This is one of the biggest things we've ever done, and it's cause for celebration," Mayor Linda Hudson said. "But it also is going to bring some pain."

The commission also OK'd increases for electric and gas rates — 5% in July and 4.5% in October — to help fund installing smart meters and expand gas services.

FORT PIERCE, September 7, 2021 — After nearly two decades, the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority finally has a plan to relocate its aging wastewater-treatment facility off Hutchinson Island.

The FPUA board Tuesday approved a $2.5 million contract for Globaltech Inc., an engineering company that focuses on design-build projects; and Haskell Company — an architecture, engineering, construction and consulting firm headquartered in Jacksonville — to relocate the plant to the Treasure Coast Energy Center on Glades Cut-Off Road by late 2024.

Moving the wastewater plant, which has been alongside the Indian River Lagoon for 62 years, has been a goal for 20 years because of environmental concerns and hopes of future economic development.

FORT PIERCE, June 29, 2021 — The two-decade-long discussion over moving the aging wastewater treatment plant off Hutchinson Island finally could come to a resolution, but likely not for another four to six years.

There are multiple paths for that could happen, each involving different partners and costs. Yet, the one thing that remains likely in all scenarios: increased utility bills.

How much more money FPUA's 15,000 customers would have to pay, though, has not been determined.

“I think we'd all like to say, "No, there's not going to be any rate increases, but realistically, there is,” Fort Pierce Utilities Authority Director John Tompeck told TCPalm. "The great unknown here is how much grant funding can we get, because that will have a direct relationship to increased rates.”

FORT PIERCE, March 22, 2021 — It has sat in a prime waterfront location on the Treasure Coast for decades. But now, there's serious talk about moving a wastewater treatment plant in Fort Pierce away from the Indian River Lagoon.

From ground level, you can’t see the tanks.

But traveling across the causeway onto South Hutchinson Island, you can see the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority’s wastewater treatment plant, which sits in a precarious spot, according to St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton.

"It's a potential environmental nightmare," Tipton said.

Tipton said had Hurricane Dorian struck, the plant would have been in the lagoon.

FORT PIERCE, October 7, 2020 — Floridians, I've got some bad news for you. It's time to bite the bullet.

We must pay the high price of relocating our waterfront wastewater treatment facilities and upgrading our sewage infrastructure.

Statewide. Everywhere.

And we have to do it fast. Time is running short.

Recent studies estimate about 950 new residents move to Florida every week…