Key West commits $10m to wastewater solids upgrade as state funding rises
Key West, Florida · Meeting date: November 5, 2026 · Published: November 6, 2026
The Key West City Commission has awarded the Richard A. Heyman WWTP Solids Dewatering System Upgrade to TLC Diversified for $9.977m. The decision follows approval of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection amendment raising state support for the treatment-plant solids dewatering upgrades project to $9.094m and extending its schedule to 2030.
Key points
- TLC Diversified was awarded the $9.977m Richard A. Heyman WWTP Solids Dewatering System Upgrade contract under ITB 26-009.
- The project will be funded through the Sewer Fund, comprising $8.188m in available budgeted funds, $1.5m in Florida Keys Stewardship grant funding and a $288,991 transfer from reserves.
- The commission approved a fifth amendment to FDEP Agreement LPA0246, increasing funding by $2.25m to $9.094m for the Key West Treatment Plant Solids Dewatering Upgrades Project.
- The FDEP amendment extends the project task end date to October 31, 2029, and the agreement expiry to April 30, 2030.
Full report
Key West has moved into delivery of a nearly $10m wastewater solids upgrade at the Richard A. Heyman Wastewater Treatment Plant, awarding TLC Diversified Inc the $9.977m construction contract while also extending and increasing state backing for the broader dewatering programme.
The City Commission approved the award under Invitation to Bid 26-009 for the Richard A. Heyman WWTP Solids Dewatering System Upgrade Project. Funding will come from the Sewer Fund: $8.188m in available budgeted funds, $1.5m in Florida Keys Stewardship grant funding, and a $288,991 transfer from reserves.
During the meeting, commissioners described the plant upgrade as necessary work at a facility that requires continued maintenance and modernisation. Discussion identified belt filter presses, washdown pumps, the conveyor system and piping among the equipment associated with the dewatering work.
The contract award was paired with approval of Amendment No. 5 to the city's agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the Key West Treatment Plant Solids Dewatering Upgrades Project. The amendment adds $2.25m, bringing the agreement's total funding to $9.094m.
It also gives the city substantially more time to complete the state-funded work. The task end date is extended to October 31, 2029, while the agreement will now expire on April 30, 2030.
The commission approved both measures unanimously. The combined actions give Key West a construction award for the treatment plant's solids handling upgrade and a longer, better-funded state agreement for its associated dewatering upgrades programme.
The wastewater decision came alongside a wider package of water-resilience measures. Commissioners also approved state grants for design and permitting of a Duval Street-Mallory Square stormwater pump station and resilience project, College Road outfall enhancements, and an erosion and coastal-resilience analysis at the Fleming Key shoreline of the wastewater treatment facility. However, the dewatering contract was the meeting's largest water-sector capital commitment.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Commission, Key West