St. Johns County in Florida has completed a $191.8 million water reclamation facility designed to treat millions of gallons of wastewater daily reduce pressure on underground drinking water supplies and prevent nutrient pollution from entering the Matanzas River.
The State Road 207 Water Reclamation Facility located in Elkton is the largest capital improvement project in the county’s history. It treats wastewater and converts it into reclaimed water that can be used for irrigation and landscaping although it is not suitable for drinking.
By supplying reclaimed water for these purposes the facility is expected to reduce dependence on the Floridan Aquifer a major source of drinking water in northeastern Florida. The project comes amid concerns about drought and limited rainfall across the region.
Treatment capacity and environmental benefits
The facility began operational testing on May 11 and has an initial treatment capacity of 3.25 million gallons per day. Its infrastructure is designed to allow future expansion, potentially increasing capacity to 6.5 million gallons daily as demand grows.
County estimates indicate that the project will prevent more than one million pounds of nutrient pollution, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus from entering the Matanzas River over the next 20 years.
Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus can contribute to algal growth reduce oxygen levels in water and damage aquatic ecosystems. Preventing these nutrients from reaching rivers can help protect water quality and wildlife habitats.
The facility is also designed to support Florida’s wastewater management requirements under Senate Bill 64 which seeks to eliminate treated wastewater discharges into surface waters when those discharges do not provide a beneficial use.
Alan Flood a senior engineer with the St. Johns County Utilities Department said the project would allow reclaimed water to replace higher quality groundwater for irrigation, helping conserve the aquifer over the long term.
Major infrastructure investment
The facility was developed under a progressive design build contract with engineering firm Jacobs. This approach allows design and construction activities to proceed concurrently, potentially shortening project delivery timelines.
Connecting the plant to the county’s existing utility network required substantial infrastructure work beyond the facility itself. The project included approximately 15 miles of large wastewater and reclaimed water transmission pipelines, a new main wastewater pumping station and a separate booster pumping station to maintain pressure across the reclaimed water distribution network.
Together, these systems are intended to support reliable wastewater treatment and the distribution of reclaimed water to users.
Funding and long term water management
The county financed the project through a utility enterprise fund which relies on service charges and connection fees to cover operating expenses and infrastructure investments rather than general property taxes.
County records indicate that average monthly residential utility bills remain approximately 10% below the regional average.
The new facility represents a major investment in the county’s water infrastructure. By reusing treated wastewater, reducing groundwater demand and limiting nutrient pollution, the project aims to improve water resource management while helping protect the Matanzas River and surrounding ecosystems.
Its long term impact will depend on effective operation, continued demand for reclaimed water and the region’s broader efforts to manage water supplies amid drought and population growth.