The Story
According to an October 27 news release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 4 and U.S. Representative Brian Mast marked $1 million in Community Project Funding for the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority. The money pays for 900 feet of 24-inch pipeline and related equipment connecting Lift Station F to the existing line along Glenview Avenue.
EPA says the work is part of moving wastewater treatment away from the Indian River Lagoon to an industrial site. FPUA broke ground on its new Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility in 2023 and completed construction in 2025, according to the release.
Phase 2 of the conveyance program is now underway and includes 17 additional conveyance projects to redirect flows to the new plant, including flows from South Hutchinson Island, the EPA release states.
Source: U.S. EPA Newsroom, EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber and U.S. Representative Brian Mast Highlight Significant Water Infrastructure Investment in Fort Pierce, October 27, 2026
The infraTerra Take
A new treatment plant is only half of a relocation. The other half is the pipe network that has to carry every gallon to it, and that is where Fort Pierce now sits. With the plant finished in 2025 and 17 conveyance projects in Phase 2, the risk has moved from the plant site into the collection system.
Our recommendation for FPUA and any Florida utility planning a similar move is to assess the gravity sewers, manholes and lift stations feeding each new line before flows are rerouted. Rerouting changes where wet weather peaks land. If inflow and infiltration upstream of Lift Station F or in the barrier island basins is high, new pumps and pipe end up sized around groundwater and stormwater instead of sewage, and overflow risk simply moves to a new address. A lateral vs. mainline I&I comparison is a useful first screen.
For contractors, 17 conveyance projects on the Treasure Coast is a real run of force main, lift station and gravity work. Coastal ground with a high water table rewards crews that can manage dewatering and live tie-ins without interrupting service.
For property owners on South Hutchinson Island, the change should be invisible at the tap. What is not invisible is the private lateral. When public money moves flows away from the lagoon, the condition of the pipes on private property becomes part of whether that investment actually protects the estuary.
What to Watch
- FPUA bid and award schedule for the 17 Phase 2 conveyance projects
- Construction start on the Lift Station F to Glenview Avenue connection
- Any further federal or state funding requests tied to the lagoon relocation
