County commissioners and other community leaders gather for ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 5
In late August 2019, the members of the Sarasota County Commission seated at that time voted unanimously to approve what is called a Consent Order with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Staff of the state department had documented numerous illegal discharges of wastewater and reclaimed water at the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), which stands at 5550 Lorraine Road in Sarasota. The treated wastewater had flowed out of a storage pond standing on the Lorraine Road site, FDEP noted.
Among the incidents that FDEP documented as having occurred from May 19, 2018 through July 2019, FDEP noted the loss of 205,197,000 gallons of treated wastewater from the pond over the period from Aug. 16, 2018 through Oct. 30, 2018.
The Consent Order called not only for the construction of aquifer recharge wells on the grounds of the Bee Ridge WRF, but it also mandated that the county convert the facility to an Advanced Wastewater Treatment process (AWT). The latter initiative would dramatically reduce the amount of nitrogen in the reclaimed water, Mike Mylett, then the county’s Public Utilities Department director, told the commissioners. The range of 10 to 14 milligrams per liter would fall to 3 milligrams per liter, based on information staff had provided the board in early May 2018 and comments County Administrator Jonathan Lewis had made.
Nitrogen has been found to be the primary food for the red tide algae, researchers have reported in recent years.
The AWT conversion had to be complete by Dec. 31, 2025, Mylett pointed out during his Aug. 28, 2018 presentation to the County Commission.
On Dec. 5 — almost four weeks ahead of schedule — county leaders celebrated what they emphasized was a major milestone — the completion of the Bee Ridge Advanced Wastewater Treatment Conversion and Expansion project.
“Through this five-year project, the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility [also] was expanded from treating 12 million gallons per day to 18 million gallons per day, to meet the growing needs of Sarasota County over the next 20 years,” a news release pointed out.
As for the AWT aspect of the initiative, the news release explained, “The AWT process reduces the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the reclaimed water produced, which is then returned to the environment through irrigation and salinity barrier wells. Limiting the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus protects Sarasota County’s bays, estuaries and waterways.”
In a video that county staff produced to mark the new status of the Bee Ridge WRF, David Tomasko, then the executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, talked of the fact that the bay’s health has been improving as a result of the county’s efforts. A healthier bay, Tomasko added, is a more resilient bay.
The county news release did note that, throughout the process of the conversion and expansion, the Public Utilities Department continued to operate the existing facility.
‘A remarkable feat’
During a Dec. 5 ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Lorraine Road site, Jeaneanne Gettle, the deputy regional administrator for Region 4 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), called the undertaking a transformative project for Sarasota County “and a leading project for the country. … Cleaner water is what we want.”
She emphasized, “It’s a remarkable feat,” especially given what she referenced as the difficulties involved in major construction over the past several years.
Commissioner Teresa Mast, in whose District 1 territory the facility stands, told those gathered that she had taken a tour of the operation with Brooke Bailey, director of the county’s Public Utilities Department.
“Several countries — not states — countries” had sent representatives to the county to learn about the facility, “because of how forward-thinking it is,” Mast stressed.
Noting that the new and improved Bee Ridge WRF had been designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane, Mast continued, “I think we almost put it to the test [during the 2024 hurricane season].” It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she added. In the event of a power loss, Mast said, it has three large generators that will keep it functioning.
Commission Chair Joe Neunder talked of the fact that the project team “and our contractors had to overcome many, many obstacles to bring this facility online and on schedule, which is a very impressive feat in and of itself.”
Moreover — as Neunder told the audience during the ribbon-cutting ceremony — “This is the largest facility of its kind in the state of Florida.”
In the video that county staff produced to mark the new status of the Bee Ridge WRF, Bailey, the Public Utilities Department director, added that the undertaking was the biggest project ever for the county’s Capital Projects Department.
Neunder called for a big round of applause for Carolyn Eastwood, director of Capital Projects.
Commissioner Mast took the opportunity to note that two of the key people involved in the initiative were women, naming Bailey as well as Eastwood.
In the county news release, Bailey pointed out, “Our priority is to consistently upgrade our infrastructure and systems to meet the needs of Sarasota County and protect our beautiful environment.”
During the Dec. 5 event, she told the audience that she and her staff “consistently [plan] 20 to 40 years into the future, and this facility update will help the county keep pace with a growing demand of our community for the next 20 years” — and on a smaller footprint than the prior facility had.
The county news release also explained, “Keeping the community’s needs at the forefront of this project,” Sarasota County staff created a Citizen Stakeholder Group of residents who met and provided comments throughout the project. Among the group’s recommendations that Public Utilities implemented was “the use of larger scrubbers that help minimize odor for neighboring communities and relocated generators to diminish noise.”
“Sarasota County Public Utilities partnered with Capital Projects, Carollo Engineers and Garney Construction to bring this project to fruition,” the release continued. In the process, the release said, Sarasota County received the Gold Envision® award from the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure in 2024, “which recognizes projects that positively impact the environment, economy, and community.”
Moreover, the release pointed out, “This is the first of Sarasota County’s three water reclamation facilities to be converted to Advanced Wastewater Treatment. Sarasota County broke ground on the Venice Gardens AWT Conversion and Expansion project in May ,” it added.
The financial factors
Then-Public Utilities Director Mylett estimated in August 2018 that the Bee Ridge initiative would cost about $158 million. Later, he indicated worries that the expense could balloon to approximately $750 million.
Yet, in response to a Sarasota News Leader inquiry in July 2024, staff reported that the total expense for the conversion of all three county wastewater treatment plants would be about $500 million.
The Public Utilities staff explained, “To address significant and historical inflation pressures, alternative construction methods, such as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), were employed. CMAR is a project delivery method” through which a construction manager guarantees that a project will not exceed a maximum price. The manager acts as a consultant during the design phase and takes on the general contractor role during construction. This approach was particularly beneficial for the Bee Ridge project, allowing for rapid procurement and construction of most process treatment equipment and large-scale construction activities, thereby avoiding much of the inflation impacting the construction industry.”
Staff pointed out, as well, “Sarasota County also explored federal grant and loan opportunities. The county secured a $105 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan for the Bee Ridge project. Established under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program, administered by the EPA, aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost credit assistance for significant projects.”
Gettle of the EPA’s Region 4 office, in Atlanta, put the final expense of the Bee Ridge WRF at $214 million.
To learn more about the Bee Ridge Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility, visit scgov.net.