PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Port St. Lucie residents could face water shortages and restrictions within four years unless the city acts fast.
The city council just selected Jacobs Engineering to build a massive new water treatment facility that will more than double water production capacity, ensuring residents' taps keep flowing as the city continues its explosive growth.
Without this plant, Port St. Lucie could run out of water capacity by 2030, according to the city's Utility Systems Department. This would result in water-use restrictions, higher bills due to emergency measures, development moratoriums affecting property values and potential service disruptions during peak demand.
The new Discovery Water Treatment Facility, planned to be built on city-owned land near the Tradition area, will produce 10-20 million gallons of clean drinking water daily. The South Florida Water Management District lists Port St. Lucie as "the only system in the Upper East Coast Planning Area that cannot meet projected demands through 2045."
While the city hasn't announced specific rate impacts, this represents a major $31.8 million infrastructure investment.
The project is on schedule to beat the 2030 deadline. New water storage tanks will come online by June 2027, and the first 4 million gallons per day of new capacity will arrive by December 2028, with full 10 million gallons daily by May 2029. The system can eventually expand to 30-40 million gallons daily as needed.
The facility will use advanced reverse osmosis technology that produces cleaner water, handles water quality changes as underground sources evolve, reduces maintenance issues and future-proofs the system against emerging challenges.
The project will now move into the permitting phase with state and federal agencies, involving community meetings to discuss construction impacts and design finalization, with construction beginning in 2027.
**Portions of this story were assisted by artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by a WPTV journalist to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to editorial standards.
