Collier County, Florida, is moving into the final design phase of its long-planned Northeast wastewater and water treatment facilities—critical infrastructure to serve five major developments east of Naples. Gulfshore Business has the story.
Why it matters
After more than two decades of planning, the $438 million project aims to meet soaring demand in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions. Commissioners unanimously approved an $11.68M contract increase with Carollo Engineers on June 24, bringing the total design cost to $32.33M.
Driving the decision
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Population growth: Agreements with new communities (SkySail, Rivergrass Village, Bellmar, Brightshore, and the Town of Big Cypress) require utilities in place by 2031.
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Past delays: Originally approved in 2004, the project was shelved during the 2008 recession and reactivated in 2017.
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Phased, modular design: Engineers are using modern treatment systems with nanofiltration and reverse osmosis for flexibility, regulatory compliance, and future expansion.
By the numbers
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? Total project cost: $438 million
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? 6 MGD wastewater + 10 MGD drinking water capacity
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?️ Construction expected to begin: 2028
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? Design costs: ~7.4% of total project budget (in line with national norms)
What they’re saying
“Today we’re at that critical juncture that we all envisioned 20 years ago and that we have current population projections that tell us that now is the time to advance this program to final design, to meet the service demands that we need in place by 2031,” Public Utilities Department Head Jim DeLony said. “The timeline is driven by agreements already in place with five major developments in the northeast Collier area.”
Funding note: All costs are covered through developer-paid impact fees, not general taxpayer funds.
The bottom line
Collier’s approval signals a major public works push—combining smart growth with high-efficiency treatment—to keep pace with a rapidly developing corridor in southwest Florida.
