Florida awarded Fort Myers $5,006,883 to expand reclaimed water at its Central wastewater plant, part of a $100 million round. Cape Coral got $4 million.
The state has awarded the City of Fort Myers $5,006,883 to expand reclaimed water production at its Central Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility. It is the third-largest of 22 awards in the state’s newest round of alternative water supply grants, and the largest in Southwest Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the round Wednesday in Crystal River. It totals $100 million across 45 projects, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s announcement. Six reclaimed water projects share $19.1 million of it, and the department named the Fort Myers project among them.
What Fort Myers and Cape Coral received
The amounts come from the department’s list of fiscal 2026-27 alternative water supply awards (PDF):
| Recipient | Project | Award |
|---|---|---|
| City of Fort Myers | Central Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility 5 mgd Reclaimed Water Expansion | $5,006,883 |
| City of Cape Coral | North 3 Utilities Expansion Reclaimed Water Project | $4,041,984 |
Cape Coral is about 11 miles west, across the Caloosahatchee River. The alternative water supply list totals $50 million over 22 projects. The rest of the $100 million goes to springs restoration projects in North and Central Florida.
Only Tampa Bay Water, at $10 million, and the City of Apopka, at $5,784,615, received more. Next on the list are the Town of Dundee, at $4,765,000, Cape Coral and the St. Johns River Water Management District, at $2.6 million.
What the money is for
Reclaimed water is wastewater treated to a high standard and reused, mostly for irrigation. The state said the projects in this group “will offset potable water demands,” meaning less drinking water goes on lawns.
The project name on the state list describes a 5 million gallons a day (mgd) expansion at the Central plant. The state did not publish a project description beyond that title.
The grant adds to earlier state money for the same plant. In fiscal 2024-25 the state awarded Fort Myers $13,516,765 for “Expansion of Reclaimed Water Treatment at Central Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facilities,” according to its Caloosahatchee water quality grant list (PDF).
The work is part of the city’s larger effort to stop sending treated wastewater into the Caloosahatchee. CDM Smith, the engineering firm the city hired, said in an Oct. 6, 2025, release that the $150 million project would:
- raise reclaimed water capacity at the Central and South plants from 18 mgd to 72 mgd
- add filtration and high-level disinfection to the treatment process
- end the discharge of treated wastewater into the Caloosahatchee River
The firm said at the time that design of the Central plant work was 60% complete. Neither the state nor the city has published a construction schedule for the newly funded phase.
What it means for you
- No bill change has been announced. The grant is state money. The city has not said whether it affects utility rates.
- More reclaimed water for irrigation. Expanding supply means more treated water available for lawns and landscaping instead of drinking water.
- Less wastewater in the river. The city’s wider program aims to end treated discharges into the Caloosahatchee, which runs past downtown.
Questions about city water and sewer service go to City Hall at 239-321-7000. For trash and recycling, see our trash and recycling guide. For what you pay the city in taxes, see property taxes in Fort Myers.
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