Florida Construction News staff writer
A new seawater desalination facility designed to provide emergency drinking water to the Florida Keys has been completed.
The Kermit H. Lewin Stock Island Reverse Osmosis Facility is a $47 million project funded by a $30.7 million grant from the Florida Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, with the remainder covered by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority.
“This new state-of-the-art seawater desalination plant will produce clean drinking water for Key West and the Lower Keys,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the opening ceremony. “Since 2019, we’ve committed over $80 million to water quality and infrastructure in the Florida Keys—with more to come.”
The construction contractor was TLC Diversified, Inc., a Florida-based general contractor specializing in water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The project was delivered using a design-build approach, with Control System Consulting LLC providing the control systems, and Carollo Engineers serving as the design engineer.
Also, Boca Raton-based PRESWERX provided architectural visualizations, building information modeling (BIM) and presentation materials.
Built with storm-resilient materials, an elevated foundation, and hardened systems to withstand future hurricanes and flooding, the structure replaces a facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
It is designed to activate during emergencies or periods of high demand, such as when the pipeline from Florida City is compromised. That pipeline currently supplies the vast majority of the region’s drinking water.
Officials say the plant is a critical addition to the Keys’ infrastructure, improving redundancy and ensuring continuity of service for residents and visitors during extreme weather events.
The opening follows a series of state-funded investments aimed at improving environmental and utility infrastructure in the Keys. In April, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded more than $9 million through the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern Grant Program for projects including wastewater treatment upgrades, canal restoration and stormwater improvements.
Since 2019, the state has spent more than $80 million in water quality and infrastructure upgrades across the Keys, part of an ongoing effort to improve resilience in one of Florida’s most vulnerable regions.
