Water touches every aspect of our lives. It flows from our taps, draws visitors to our shores, attracts and supports business and sustains the natural beauty that makes Fort Myers such a great place to live and visit. From the water we drink to the water we fish, swim and play in, water quality means something a little different to everybody, but is intimately connected to who we are as Southwest Floridians.
August’s National Water Quality Month reminded us that water is more than simply a utility service—it’s crucial to our health, economy and natural environment. That’s why the City of Fort Myers is making a major commitment to protect this crucial resource. Over the next 10 years, we will invest nearly $1 billion to improve and expand our drinking water, wastewater and reclaimed water systems. Approximately half of that amount is already hard at work, with projects scheduled for the next five years either underway or in design.
To ensure the quality of the water we drink, one of our cornerstone projects is the expansion of our reverse osmosis water treatment plant. We expanded the facility’s water supply capabilities with 11 new wells since 2022, and 10 more are currently underway. When plant improvements are completed in 2028, we will see an increased capacity to 15 million gallons of clean drinking water per day—enough to meet the City of Fort Myers’ projected needs through 2040…