Canal Intake, Pump Station and Subaqueous Crossing

As part of its long-term water infrastructure resiliency strategy, the City of Vero Beach is retiring an existing water reclamation facility and constructing a new one further inland. In parallel, John’s Island Water Management, a nearby private utility, sought to reduce potable water use by expanding access to alternative water for irrigation. The city’s proposed solution was to pump treated stormwater to support the reduction of potable water usage.

To support this goal, this project constructed a 3.0 MGD stormwater intake pump station and installed approximately 26,000 feet of pipeline, including 3,600 feet of 18-inch HDPE transmission main beneath the Indian River Lagoon from Gifford Dock Park to Bee Gum Point. The intake station draws stormwater from the Indian River Farms Water Control District Main Relief Canal. The subaqueous pipeline was installed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) with DR 9 HDPE pipe. This approach minimized surface disruption, reduced environmental impact, and preserved sensitive wetland ecosystems.

The project improves lagoon health and provides a sustainable source of irrigation water for the barrier island community. Located within a regulatory Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) area, the project is estimated to reduce nitrogen loading to the Indian River Lagoon by approximately 17,000 pounds annually.