St. Lucie River/C-23 Water Quality Project

Over 6 billion gallons of water will be kept from entering the North Fork of the St. Lucie River annually upon the completion of the water quality restoration/storage project located at Port St. Lucie McCarty Ranch Extension.

Summary

This water quality storage/treatment project will take approximately 1,871 acres of fallow citrus grove and a 315-acre water impoundment, located at McCarty Ranch Preserve, and convert them to a shallow water storage facility consisting of seven reservoirs capable of receiving water diverted from the C-23 Canal. It also will capture an annual average of 53 inches of rain on the property reducing the need to discharge.

More than 42.3 billion gallons of water flow annually into the North Fork of the St. Lucie River from the C-23 Canal. This project is anticipated to keep up to 21% of excess freshwater C-23 Canal discharges from entering the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.

The construction of this project is based on the grant funding received. In order to comply with the grant spending guidelines, each area will be complete and operational within 2 years of receiving the corresponding grant funds.

Future Alternative water supply

The Water Quality Restoration/Storage Project is the precursor to this City’s future alternative water supply. A proposed future surface water treatment plant will be built on this property to treat the water being pumped from the C-23 Canal to drinking water standards. A certain amount of this treated water will be sent out for public consumption and the rest will be stored in deep aquifer storage and recovery wells (ASRs). The stored water will then be recovered and distributed for consumption ensuring that Port St. Lucie is able to meet the water needs of this growing city for generations to come.

Benefits

  • 19,409 acre-ft./6.330 billion gallons of water diverted from the C-23 Canal
  • 7,831 acre-ft./2.554 billion gallons of rainfall and excess water during annual wet season stored
  • 27,266 acre-ft./8.884 billion gallons total will be kept from entering North Fork of St. Lucie River
  • Recharge local water table
  • Remove 55,000 lbs. of Nitrogen and 14,000 lbs. of Phosphorus from the water entering the North Fork of the St. Lucie River annually
  • Reduce discharges from the C-23 Canal into the North Fork of the St. Lucie River by 21%

Budget & Projected Cost

  • $180,640 annual operating costs including fuel, mowing and monitoring.

Maps

Areas Map

Water-Farming Flow Model

McCarty Extension Water Farming Flow-Model

Areas 1-7

Area 1

  • Completion Date: July 2019
  • Area Size: 210 acres
  • Actual Cost: $1,889,448
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 600,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 1,900 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 7,400 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS - solids in water that can be trapped by a filter): 37,000 lbs.
  •  Funding Received:
    $952,103 Grants Awarded
    • $200,000 from South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Cooperative Grant Funding Program for construction-related costs through Sept. 2018. Agreement signed by both parties on May 17, 2017.
    • $752,103 from Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) FY 2017 Section 319(h) Grant for construction-related costs.
  • Schedule:
    • July 20, 2017 — SFWMD Environmental Permit
    • August 31, 2017 – Bids open
    • September 11, 2017 – Recommendation of award to Utility Systems
    • September 13, 2017 – Recommendation of award to Procurement Management Dept.
      September 20, 2017 – Agenda package for City Manager
    • October 9, 2017 – City Council Meeting approval
    • December 12, 2017 - Groundbreaking Ceremony
    • January 2, 2018 – Notice to proceed
    • January 2019 – Construction nearly complete, working on punch list items (project delayed due to unusually long wet season)
    • July 2019 - Construction complete, began pumping

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement NF028 to Port St. Lucie Utility Systems. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.

Area 2

  • Completion Date: August 2020
  • Area Size: 275 acres
  • Actual Cost: $2,577,525
  • Gallons of Water pumped from C-23 Canal: 745,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 2,300 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 9,300 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS - solids in water that can be trapped by a filter): 47,000 lbs.
  • Funding Received:
    $2,024,020 Grants Awarded
    • Legislative grant for $1,080,0000 ($180,000 for design and $900,000 for construction).
      • Received signed agreement between both parties on May 9, 2018.
      • Received notice of funding on April 16, 2018. Received draft agreement and submitted comments in December 2018.
    • Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for FY18 Section 319(h) Grant for $644,020 (for construction-related costs).
      • Received notice of funding on funding on August 22, 2018.

Area 3

  • Completion Date: March 2021
  • Area Size: 280 acres
  • Actual Cost: $2,158,641
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 770,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 2,400 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 9,600 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS - solids in water that can be trapped by a filter): 48,000 lbs.
  • Funding Received:
    $2,002995.50 Grants Awarded

  • Legislative grant for $180,000 for design.
  • $1,162,047.32 from FDEP Section 319(h)
  • $18,308.68 from State Water Quality Restoration Grant
  • $448,700 from South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Alternative Water Supply (AWS) grant
  • $193,939.50 IRL Water Quality Improvement Projects

Area 4

  • Completion Date: February 2023
  • Area Size: 304 acres
  • Estimated Cost: $2,762,154
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 770,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 2,400 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 9,600 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS - solids in water that can be trapped by a filter): 48,000 lbs.
  • Funding Received:
    $2,424,952 Grants Awarded
    • $487,200 SFWMD AWS
    • $193,940 IRL Water Quality Improvement Projects
    • $718,950 FDEP Section 319(h) grant
    • $1,024,862 Legislative grant for construction

Area 5

  • Completion Date: September 2024
  • Area Size: 77 acres
  • Estimated Cost: $3.5 million
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 216,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 680 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 2,700 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS - solids in water that can be trapped by a filter): 13,500 lbs.
  • Funding Received:
    $1,929,144 Grants Awarded
    • $387,880 IRL Water Quality Improvement Projects
    • $682,164 FDEP Section 319(h) grant
    • $64,100 SFWMD AWS
    • $795,000 EPA Grant

Area 7A

  • Targeted Completion Date: December 2025
  • Area Size: 234 acres
  • Estimated Cost: $10 million
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 650,000 gallons
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 2,100 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 8,100 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids: 41,000 lbs.
  • Funding Received:
    • $416,875 FDEP/Legislative grant for design
    • $1 million EPA grant for construction

Area 7B

  • Targeted Completion Date: December 2030
  • Area Size: 252 acres
  • Estimated Cost: $10 million
  • Gallons of water pumped from C-23 Canal: 700,000
  • Annual reduction in nutrients:
    • Total Phosphorus: 2,200 lbs.
    • Total Nitrogen: 8,700 lbs.
    • Total Suspended Solids: 44,000 lbs.
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