Fort Myers weighs incentives, mandates for reclaimed‑water expansion

City utilities staff told the advisory board the wastewater upgrades underway will produce several million gallons per day of additional reclaimed water that the city can either distribute, inject, or monetize.

"We have about 5,500,000 gallons a day of additional reclaimed water that's uncommitted at our central wastewater facility," Director Jason Shondra said, and he estimated potential revenue of roughly $3,500,000 a year if the city markets that capacity. He said the city currently favors prioritizing willing, high‑volume customers and incentives because those partners minimize conflicts and deliver economy of scale.

Shondra described three policy paths: continue the current ordinance and prioritize willing partners; revise the ordinance and rate structure so reclaimed-water rates fund expansion and lower developer costs; or establish mandatory reuse zones—an approach Cape Coral used—to compel reclaimed connections where reuse is available and ties into permitting. "When the water management district looks at the permitting for these developments, if you have a mandatory reuse zone and reclaimed water is available, you have to take it," he said.

He said the main resistance to reclaimed connections is cost: for a hypothetical large development requiring pipeline and metering work, city amortization could add about $120,000 a year in costs and about $400 per home annually in the example discussed. Staff also noted the city can consider financing installation and recovering the cost over time or through rate adjustments.

The board asked about developer and HOA attitudes; Shondra said the opposition he encounters is economic rather than about water quality. The board asked staff to return with implementation detail and potential financial models.