Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava breaks ground on Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades that support environmental protection

Today, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado (District 7), and Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) Director Roy Coley broke ground on a $1.2 billion series of upgrades to the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant that are being developed to meet the State of Florida’s Ocean Outfall Legislation (OOL) and are part of the Department’s $8.6 billion Capital Improvement Program (CIP). 

The planned upgrades will improve critical processes and systems to increase reliability and reduce redundancy, as well as harden infrastructure and systems based on the adoption of resilient and climate-ready designs which support the Department’s vision of becoming a model utility of excellence in reliability, resilience, and environmental stewardship.

“I’m proud of the innovative strategies being developed and implemented by our Water and Sewer Department that are building a Future Ready Miami-Dade, which is critical for the wellbeing of the community and the protection of our natural resources,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We must invest in our water and sewer infrastructure to continue offering high-quality water services to our residents now and in the future.”

Under Mayor Cava’s leadership, WASD has accelerated its execution of essential Capital Improvement Program projects including a historic investment of more than $599 million to upgrade its water and sewer infrastructure during fiscal year 2022-2023 beating the previous year’s landmark achievement of $557 million in project execution. To date, during Mayor Cava’s administration, more than $1.7 billion has been invested in vital water and sewer upgrade projects.

“Upgrading and hardening the infrastructure here at this plant is vital to support its ability to continuously operate during severe weather and storm events, as well as building a more resilient facility to serve Miami-Dade for the future,” said County Commissioner Raquel Regalado (D-7). “With these upgrades, our Water and Sewer Department is reemphasizing its commitment to safeguard our environment and protect public health, while providing our residents high-quality services.” 

Mayor Levine Cava has challenged the County’s water professionals to reanalyze, collaborate, and explore alternative options and approaches to establish a comprehensive water reuse strategy. As a part of the plant’s upgrades, WASD will continue to implement its industrial water reuse strategy. Based on the use of Effluent Energy Recovery Systems, treated water will be used to provide cooling to buildings and energy-intensive processes at the treatment plants. Once completed, this strategy will increase the daily amount of water reused from 15 million gallons to more than 100 million gallons, making WASD the number one utility in Florida for industrial reuse.

“These necessary upgrades will benefit the community by ensuring we sustain high-quality, safe, and reliable services today while planning for a thriving economy and growing population in the future,” said Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department Director Roy Coley. “We are committed to future-proofing our systems and assets to protect public health and to ensure Miami-Dade County is future-ready.”

It is the priority of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to provide safe, reliable service to its customers. For additional information about Department services and programs, visit the WASD website.