Homestead wastewater plan points to a 12 MGD expansion

Homestead is weighing a draft wastewater plan that would expand the city’s treatment facility over several years. The document is not final policy, but it shows the direction utility planners want to take: more local capacity, more reliability, and less dependence on Miami-Dade’s system for flows above the city plant’s current limit.

The city’s wastewater facility is currently permitted to treat 5 million gallons per day on an annual average basis. The draft plan says wastewater flows above that limit are diverted to an off-site Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department master pump station for treatment and disposal.

What the draft plan recommends

The preferred alternative is a 12 MGD mirror-image expansion with trench disposal. City staff say that option best fits the long-term goals of increasing treatment capacity, improving operational flexibility, replacing aging infrastructure, and reducing routine reliance on outside treatment.

The plan also points to resilience benefits, including better performance during extreme weather and fewer risks tied to service interruptions or unauthorized discharges. It further cites water reuse, groundwater protection, energy resilience, and replacement of critical equipment that has reached the end of its useful life.

What it could cost

The preferred option is listed at about $125.89 million in total project cost. The document says that estimate is a Class 5 planning estimate, which means it is an order-of-magnitude figure with a wide expected range and should not be read as a final construction price.

What happens next

The schedule in the draft stretches from 2026 through 2034. It calls for SRF planning, public participation, and project authorization in 2026; funding and final design in 2027; major permits in 2028; bids in 2029; construction starting in 2030; substantial completion in 2033; and final completion and commissioning in 2034.

For now, the key point is that the plan remains draft status. The city says it is open for public review and comment, and it still needs formal City Council approval before it becomes adopted policy.

Sources

• City of Homestead — Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion Plan page