Florida Water Officials Finalize $210M Construction Contracts for Everglades Stormwater Treatment Basin

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — The South Florida Water Management District governing board unanimously approved $210 million in civil construction contracts Wednesday for a new 6,500-acre Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) in Palm Beach County, marking a major milestone in comprehensive Everglades restoration.

Engineering Framework and Phosphorus Filtration

The project, designated as STA-A2, is a core component of the broader Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The facility utilizes engineered marsh vegetation, including submerged aquatic flora and cattail stands, to naturally absorb agricultural phosphorus runoff from Lake Okeechobee before clean water is directed southward into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.

District hydrologists estimate that the new treatment cells will process more than 180,000 acre-feet of water annually, reducing nutrient concentrations to below the federal 10-parts-per-billion statutory clean water standard.

Ecological and Coastal Protection Stakes

Governor Ron DeSantis praised the contract awards, pointing to more than $3.3 billion invested in Everglades restoration and coastal water quality protection since 2019. By expanding southward water storage and filtration capacity, the reservoir reduces harmful high-volume regulatory discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.

Conservation groups, including the Everglades Foundation and commercial fishing federations, lauded the approval as critical to preserving South Florida's drinking water aquifers and safeguarding fragile marine habitats.

Construction Milestones

Heavy earthmoving and canal excavation will begin in October 2026, with the treatment marsh scheduled for initial flooding and vegetative planting by late 2027.