WASTEWATER TREATMENT: Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility

7-January-2025

Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility Expansion and Advanced Wastewater Treatment Conversion Project

Innovative plant expansion to deliver enhanced environmental protection and resilience via advanced treatment technology.

The Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility (BRWRF) Expansion and Advanced Wastewater Treatment Conversion Project in Sarasota County, Florida, has earned an Envision Gold award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), the first Florida wastewater treatment facility to do so.

The 140-acre BRWRF, originally constructed in the 1990s, is being transformed into a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility. The project will increase treatment capacity by 50% — from 12 to 18 million gallons per day — while implementing advanced wastewater treatment technologies, including biological nutrient removal basins and Florida’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. These upgrades will significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharges — two pollutants that can contribute to algae growth in waterways — and produce high-quality water to offset potable water use and groundwater withdrawals.

The Envision Gold award underscores the project’s commitment to sustainability and resilience principles and positive impacts for the growing Sarasota community, through:

  • Environmental stewardship: Rehabilitation of on-site wetlands and reduction of nutrient discharges to protect local water bodies and ecosystems.
  • Climate resilience: Design features to withstand sea-level rise and increased storm intensity.
  • Resource efficiency: Implementation of robust water reuse systems and beneficial use of construction waste.
  • Community benefits: Continuous community engagement and greater availability of reclaimed water to support population growth and economic development.

The project’s highly technical scope required innovative approaches to engineering design and financing. To minimize the financial impact on its customers, Sarasota County successfully acquired a $105M Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) low-interest loan. This federal funding support helps utilities deliver critical infrastructure improvements while maintaining affordable utility rates.

The project is a collaborative effort involving several key partners. Sarasota County retained Carollo Engineers as the primary designer and Garney Construction as the construction manager at risk (CMAR). This alternative project delivery structure was selected to expedite the schedule and meet the County’s goal of planning, designing, and building the enhanced facility by the end of 2025.

Read the full project announcement