Fort Myers advances resilient wellfield expansion for RO water plant
Fort Myers Public Works, Florida · Meeting date: October 19, 2026 · Published: October 20, 2026
Fort Myers City Council has approved the facility and capital-finance plans for an estimated $48 million expansion of the reverse-osmosis water-treatment plant wellfield. The city says six new wells and backup power will reduce the system's exposure to flood-related source-water outages.
Key points
- Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-84 for the reverse-osmosis water-treatment plant wellfield expansion.
- The preferred alternative comprises up to six new source-water wells with backup power generation.
- The city said it has received a $35,139,169 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with 100% principal forgiveness; the agenda listed project support totaling $35,844,623.
- Fort Myers has also applied for a further $15 million through the Resilient Florida grant programme, which staff said remains under evaluation.
Full report
Fort Myers City Council has cleared the facility plan and capital-finance plan for a major expansion of the wellfield supplying its reverse-osmosis water-treatment plant, selecting a resilience-focused scheme of up to six new source-water wells with backup generation.
The council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-84 at its October 19 meeting. Public Utilities staff put the estimated project cost at $48 million and said the work is intended to prevent potable-water deficiencies and service interruptions arising from flooding and power loss.
Staff told councillors that Hurricanes Helene and Milton inundated Fort Myers in September and October 2024 with storm surges of 5.12ft and 5.27ft respectively. During Milton, the city received between one and five inches of rainfall in a short period, worsening flooding. Existing wells are located beside canals and stormwater-retention ponds, making them vulnerable to riverine flooding and persistent ponding during the rainy season, according to the presentation.
The city said disruption to those source wells can reduce pressure and interrupt supply. The six proposed wells, each supported by backup generation, are intended to add redundancy and provide a reliable supply of raw water for treatment into potable water.
Fort Myers evaluated two other approaches: purchasing water from a neighbouring supplier, and taking no action. Staff said the imported-water alternative would require new transmission mains and carry an ongoing cost commitment. The no-action option would avoid initial construction costs but could leave the city unable to meet demand during source-water interruptions and lengthen emergency recovery times.
The selected wellfield expansion was presented as improving resilience to flooding and power loss, reducing dependence on flood-prone locations and retaining city control of operations and maintenance. Staff stated that the project would have no negative environmental impacts or significant effects on human health.
The city has received a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan of $35.14 million with 100% principal forgiveness through a supplemental appropriation associated with Hurricanes Helene and Milton and Hawaii wildfires, staff said. The agenda described the principal-forgiveness support as totaling $35.84 million. Fort Myers has also applied for $15 million under the Resilient Florida grant programme; that application is still being evaluated.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: CITY COUNCIL REGULAR - Oct 19, 2026, Fort Myers Public Works