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In 2017 about 1.25 million gallons of wastewater were released into the Indian River Lagoon because of a power outage at Fort Pierce Utilities Authority’s Water Reclamation facility on South Hutchinson Island. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection did not issue a fine for the violations of the local utility’s operating permit but, instead, accepted a plan to prevent future spills.
By 2020, widespread harmful algae blooms killed an estimated 89% of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary’s seagrass. Relocating the wastewater treatment plant was already in process. That move was driven by community concerns about environmental protection, storm resilience, and long-term sustainability, areas that FPUA says “ultimately guided one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Fort Pierce’s history.”
How the Local Utility is Working to Improve the Health of an Estuary
The FPUA Island Water Reclamation Facility is a 10 million gallon a day facility that treats the area’s wastewater, which flows into the facility come from residential (homes), commercial (restaurants and other businesses), and industry (manufacturing, juicing, car washes, etc.). All the flow is brought to the facility via 116 lift stations, which pump the wastewater using a series of gravity and force main sewers. The discharges push the treated effluent into an injection well 3000+ feet deep into the ground.
