Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded Vero Beach $11.3 million to fund the construction of a new, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility east of the city’s airport. The proposed facility will replace the old wastewater treatment building, located near the Vero Beach power plant at the base of the 17th Street Bridge.
“This is our fourth grant we’ve received for this facility,” said Rob Bolton, director of water and sewer for the city of Vero Beach. “Overall, we’ve received $37.6 million in grants for the new wastewater treatment plant.”
The new building will have water treatment that will help remove excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus found in samples pulled from the Indian River Lagoon. Bolton said the facility will convert the wastewater into reclaimed irrigation water, which can be used to water lawns, golf courses and parks.
Left to right: Vero Beach City Councilman Aaron Vos, Vero Beach City Councilman John Carroll, Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, Taxpayers’ Association of IRC President Lance Lunceford, Vero Beach Water and Sewer Director Rob Bolton and Vero Beach City Councilman Taylor Dingle. PHOTO PROVIDED
The funding was part of the state’s overall mission to improve Florida’s water quality and supply by stripping away harmful nutrients.
“Florida’s waterways are a vital part of our environment, economy, and way of life, and protecting these resources continues to be a top priority,” DeSantis said. “These investments will help safeguard water quality statewide and accelerate restoration efforts in key ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon, Caloosahatchee River and Estuary, and Biscayne Bay.”
DeSantis held a news conference Tuesday at the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House, an 11-acre property located off U.S. 1 just west of the Indian River Lagoon in Palm Bay. Dozens of people, including dignitaries from Vero Beach and Sebastian, along with environmental officials, attended the event.
“Gov. DeSantis is demonstrating that fiscal responsibility and minimal tax burdens, as well as environmental management and conservation, do not have to be at odds. He’s proven here in Florida we can do both,” said Lance Lunceford, president of the Taxpayers’ Association of Indian River County. “Given the austerity measures the governor is putting in place across the state, the fact that he’s trusting the city of Vero Beach with this funding, really shows the level of commitment that our cities and counties have toward that responsibility.”
DeSantis, along with Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert, announced more than $389 million in funding for municipalities throughout the state to protect water quality and supply. The governor said $100 million will go toward the newly established Indian River Lagoon Protection Program.
“This is the most biologically diverse estuary in all of North America,” DeSantis said. “It’s a key economic driver for both the region and the state.”
The Indian River Lagoon stretches 156 miles from Volusia County to Palm Beach County. The lagoon – frequently used for boating, fishing and educational enrichment activities – is home to more than 4,400 species of plants and animals.
The annual economic regional value of the Indian River Lagoon was estimated at $7.6 billion, according to One Lagoon. The Indian River Lagoon – which includes seven counties and 39 incorporated cities – provides jobs, housing and industry to residents, along with recreational and tourism opportunities for visitors.
Bolton said the new wastewater facility will help remove high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from water more adequately than the old plant. Buildup of nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to cultural eutrophication in surface waters, causing algal blooms, low-dissolved oxygen, fish kills, murky water and a decrease in plant and animal life, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The numbers for nitrogen and phosphorous were high at the old facility,” Bolton said. Bolton also said the old building is also subject to damage from flooding and hurricanes.
Construction of the wastewater plant, which will be located near U.S. 1 and Aviation Boulevard, started in late 2024, Bolton said. The wastewater treatment facility will be located just west of Vero Beach’s water treatment plant, which converts ground water into drinking water.
Bolton said the final cost for the new facility will be between $150-to-$170 million.
Bolton said the new facility will produce a much better water quality. The building will use wastewater treatments including the membrane bioreactor, where bacteria grow and consume all of the substances within the raw wastewater, and where solids are separated from the liquid.
Officials will also use the biological nutrient removal process, which uses microorganisms in different environmental conditions to extract nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater.
“Between the (biological nutrient removal) and the (membrane bioreactor), we’ll have the best water quality coming out of this plant in Indian River County,” Bolton said. “Out of all the counties along the Indian River Lagoon, ours will have the best treatment.”
Bolton said Vero Beach received $5 million in grants for another project to convert stormwater into irrigation water. The initiative – dubbed the Main Canal to Irrigation Project – aims to have an underground pipeline drilled underneath the Indian River Lagoon.
The pipeline will travel from the Main Relief Canal, located south of the Vero Beach Regional Airport, to John’s Island, Bolton said.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
