Homestead committee advances water and sewer master plan, flags aging mains and $33M in phased needs

The City of Homestead’s Committee of the Whole on April 7 advanced a proposed Water and Sewer Master Plan to the council consent agenda after a presentation by Public Works Director Kyro Kangas and consultants.

Kangas said the plan—developed over about a year—maps the city’s water and sewer service areas (including pockets still on septic) and inventories pipe materials and age. "The majority of our system is ductile iron," Kangas said, adding the city has "very little areas" of older asbestos‑cement pipe but does have many distribution lines under 8 inches in diameter and some two‑inch segments that reduce pressure and fire protection. The presentation noted some records were lost during Hurricane Andrew and that data gaps remain.

The plan prioritizes gravity mains such as the Chrome and Flaggler corridors and identifies a critical east‑west force main under Sandero Landing that carries flows east of the turnpike. Kangas described that force main as "almost 50 years old" with no redundancy, saying it constrains growth east of the city and will require fast‑tracked capacity work with developers.

Staff outlined priority capital projects: a fully designed Well No. 7 (seeking state and federal appropriations), a million‑gallon storage tank with pressure pumps to bolster off‑peak fill and emergency pressure regulation, a redundant companion well, and continued water‑main upsizing. Kangas summarized the plan’s estimated, phased cost at about $33 million for the prioritized portions of the system and said projects are being sized to align with likely $5–$10 million grant awards rather than relying on a single large appropriation.

Council members pressed for details on siting and phasing. When asked where the million‑gallon tank would be placed, Kangas said locations under consideration include Wickoff Park and east‑side alternatives for pressure optimization. On a question about relocating the wastewater treatment plant, staff warned full relocation would be a multi‑million to multi‑billion dollar undertaking and said most jurisdictions instead preserve an existing facility while building supplemental plants; staff proposed a field trip to the plant for council members.

Kangas also referenced recent wholesale rate increases from Miami‑Dade County—which rose by roughly 19% last year—and said an expansion of Homestead’s wastewater capacity would give the city more control over its costs.

Following questions, council members voted to place the Water and Sewer Master Plan on the consent agenda; the item will return to a future council meeting for final approval. Staff said grant applications and bid schedules (one bid opening was noted for April 13 on specific gravity‑main work) will inform the phased schedule.

Action taken: the committee moved the master plan to the council consent agenda for a future vote.