Riviera Beach City Council members are considering a new water treatment plant that could cost up to $300 million, potentially leading to water and wastewater bill increases for residents. The need for the new plant stems from the aging infrastructure of the current facility, which is nearly 70 years old and in need of replacement. Additionally, rising costs of labor and materials have doubled the initial cost estimates made in 2021.
Residents have expressed concerns about both the potential rate increases and the cause of recent water contamination incidents, including the presence of E. coli in the city’s water supply. Council members are still exploring funding options for the project and have not yet determined the exact amount that residents may have to pay. The city’s water and wastewater rates are already set to increase in 2024 and 2025 as part of the financial preparation for the new plant.
The $300 million cost comes as a surprise to Riviera Beach city officials and residents, although the latter have expressed their fury regarding the state of the city’s water. Last June, water in a Riviera Beach well tested positive for E. coli—a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Ingesting E. coli can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Since the initial test, Palm Beach County water quality experts informed the city that two wells tested positive for the contaminant and that E. coli had leaked into the drinking water system, according to a report in the Palm Beach Post.
In addition to their concern about water bill rates, residents still don’t know what caused the contamination.
‘We are almost in June, again have not heard anything about what happened with that incident— who was responsible, who we need to hold accountable,’ Riviera Councilwoman Shirley Lanier said, according to the report. ‘Nothing has been done about it.’
Newsweek reached out to Lanier by email for further comment.
Councilwoman KaShamba Miller-Anderson acknowledged the rising construction costs but expressed concern about the potential for further cost overruns.
‘I do understand that construction costs continue to rise,’ Miller-Anderson said. ‘So I do factor that in. But at what point are we able to lock into a price? Is there a point where we say, ‘This is what it is. This is what’s going to be?’ Because if we don’t do that, we could be up to 5, 6, $700 million, especially with the way construction costs are increasing.’
Riviera Beach is not alone in facing challenges related to water infrastructure. Municipalities across the nation have recently considered raising water and sewer bills to cover increases in fuel, power, and chemical costs. Some cities are also investing in new filtration systems to reduce levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been linked to a range of health problems.
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