{"id":5602,"date":"2025-05-14T15:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T15:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/?p=5602"},"modified":"2025-05-14T15:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T15:57:10","slug":"florida-governor-opens-new-47m-reverse-osmosis-water-treatment-facility-on-stock-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/florida-governor-opens-new-47m-reverse-osmosis-water-treatment-facility-on-stock-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida governor opens new $47M reverse osmosis water treatment facility on Stock Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

New\u00a0state-of-the-art plant doubles water treatment capacity and boosts resilience for the Lower Keys<\/em><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n

STOCK ISLAND,\u00a0Fla. \u2014\u00a0May\u00a013,\u00a02025\u00a0\u2014<\/strong>\u00a0The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA), joined by\u00a0Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,\u00a0stakeholders,\u00a0and\u00a0project partners,\u00a0last week\u00a0celebrated the opening of the $47\u00a0million Kermit H. Lewin Stock Island Reverse Osmosis (RO) Facility.<\/p>\n

The new facility doubles the previous plant\u2019s capacity from 2 to 4 million gallons per day,\u00a0providing a new water source to meet daily\u00a0water system\u00a0demands and\u00a0enhancing emergency water supply and storm resilience in the Lower Florida Keys.<\/p>\n

The project was made possible with support from multiple funding sources, including a loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and $30.6\u00a0million from the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program following Hurricane Irma.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the Florida Keys to announce the opening of the Kermit H. Lewin Stock Island Reverse Osmosis Facility, a new state-of-the-art seawater desalination plant that will produce clean drinking water for Key West and the Lower Keys,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>stated Governor DeSantis<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cSince 2019, we\u2019ve committed over $80 million to water quality and infrastructure in the Florida Keys\u2014with more to come.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Located in a region with limited natural freshwater resources, the Florida Keys rely primarily on a single transmission pipeline from the South Florida mainland for their potable water supply. The new Stock Island RO Facility, which replaces a decades-old seawater treatment plant on the same island, provides a vital layer of redundancy and resilience, designed to maintain reliable access to clean water in the event of service interruptions due to hurricanes, flooding, or other emergencies.\u00a0The new facility will also augment existing\u00a0supply to\u00a0accommodate\u00a0growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new Kermit H. Lewin RO Facility serves as a critical water security infrastructure for approximately 25,000 residents and 1,200 businesses in the Lower Keys region, from Stock Island through Big Pine Key. During peak tourist season, when the area\u2019s population can swell by an additional 15,000 visitors, the facility\u2019s expanded capacity helps meet water supply needs even during periods of high demand.<\/p>\n

Named in honor of longtime FKAA Board Member Kermit H. Lewin, the facility is built to maintain operations during Category 5 hurricanes and\u00a0100-year flood events, with structural elements elevated more than 20 feet above\u00a0sea level. The plant was designed by Carollo Engineers, with support from key\u00a0subconsultants\u00a0Control System Consulting\u00a0and\u00a0ADSEngineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis facility is a testament to our commitment to long-term water security in the face of extreme weather events,\u201d\u00a0said FKAA\u00a0Director of Engineering David Hackworth. \u201cBy doubling our treatment capacity and incorporating advanced technology, we\u2019re strengthening water reliability for Lower Keys residents and businesses while preparing for future challenges. This project represents a significant investment in our community\u2019s resilience and demonstrates our dedication to providing safe, reliable water service regardless of\u00a0conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The upgraded plant features advanced RO technology, including the latest in membrane system design and materials. The system achieves approximately 45% water recovery\u2014the proportion of seawater converted to freshwater\u2014through single-stage RO units and incorporates degasification and chemical treatment processes\u00a0with post-treatment stabilization. These innovations offer higher efficiency and longer service life, contributing to a 50% reduction in energy consumption compared to the previous facility, despite doubling its production capacity. This energy efficiency is particularly important given the energy-intensive nature of desalination processes.<\/p>\n

The facility is also constructed to withstand the Keys\u2019 harsh environmental conditions, including the corrosive sea atmosphere, frequent storms, and\u00a0potential\u00a0sea level rise. All structural and process equipment materials were selected for their resistance to corrosion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proud to have designed a system that blends innovation with durability, providing the community with access to safe, clean water when it\u2019s needed most,\u201d said Carollo Senior Project Manager Chris Reinbold.<\/p>\n

The facility includes energy-efficient transfer pumping systems and incorporates a modern water\u00a0quality\u00a0laboratory and emergency living quarters for staff. Power is supplied by the electrical grid or by on-site diesel generators with backup fuel storage to support continuous operations during emergencies.<\/p>\n

With commissioning complete and the plant fully operational in time for the 2025 hurricane season, the Kermit H. Lewin RO Facility sets a new benchmark for resilient and sustainable water infrastructure in coastal and island communities.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

About Carollo Engineers<\/strong><\/p>\n

For\u00a0over\u00a090 years, Carollo Engineers has provided a full range of innovative planning, design, and construction management services to\u00a0address\u00a0the water needs of municipalities, public agencies, private developers, and industrial\u00a0clients. Carollo develops robust water management strategies that leverage collaboration, provide multi-benefit solutions, and achieve sustainability and resilience. Carollo has\u00a0over\u00a01,500 employees located across\u00a0North America. To learn more about how Carollo is \u201cWorking Wonders\u00a0With\u00a0Water\u00ae\u201d call (800) 523-5826 or visit\u00a0www.carollo.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The post Florida governor opens new $47M reverse osmosis water treatment facility on Stock Island<\/a> first appeared on Informed Infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New\u00a0state-of-the-art plant doubles water treatment capacity and boosts resilience for the Lower Keys \u200b STOCK […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5602"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5602"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5603,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5602\/revisions\/5603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mywatchseries.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}