“Our vision is to be a model utility in reliability, resilience, and environmental stewardship”

Please tell us briefly about your career path and your current role at Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD).

My career in water resource management spans more than 25 years, beginning with my initial role as the Town Superintendent in Falkville, Alabama. This position laid the foundation for my expertise in overseeing water and wastewater systems, government administration, and various other municipal services. From there, I advanced to the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, where I served as Manager of Operations and spearheaded critical projects, such as the septic to sewer conversion and pioneered innovative water quality management techniques. In 2015, I joined the City of Miami Beach as Director of Public Works. During my tenure, I led the design, permitting, construction, and maintenance of the City’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, implementing climate change adaptation measures and enhancing the City’s infrastructure resilience.

Since May 2021, I have had the privilege of serving as the Director of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD), the largest water utility in the Southeastern United States. As Director, I oversee a workforce of nearly 3,000 employees and manage one of Miami-Dade County’s most significant Capital Improvement Plans, valued at more than $8 billion, along with a $1 billion annual operating budget.

Our department provides high-quality, affordable water and wastewater services to over 2.8 million residents and 26.5 million annual visitors. Ranked number one in customer satisfaction for Large Water Utilities in the Southern Region by J.D. Power for two consecutive years, notably, WASD has successfully executed more than $1.5 billion in capital improvements within a three-year period, focusing on projects that enhance system resiliency and sustainability.

My career has been dedicated to advancing water resource management, and in my current role at WASD, I continue to strive towards future-proofing our infrastructure and ensuring the highest quality of service for our community.

Can you provide an overview of Miami-Dade’s planned investments in wastewater infrastructure in the coming years, and the Ocean Outfall Legislation Program?

As part of the department’s $8.6 billion Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the department is upgrading its wastewater treatment plants and pumps stations, and replacing hundreds of miles of sewer pipes. These investments also include infrastructure system hardening that accounts for climate change and sea level rise so these plants can maintain operation even during severe weather events such as hurricanes.

The Ocean Outfall Legislation Program requires Florida utilities to reduce wastewater discharges using existing ocean outfalls by 2025

The Ocean Outfall Legislation Program was created from a state-wide directive to reduce the practice of discharging wastewater into the ocean using existing ocean outfalls by 2025. The OOL requires all southeast Florida utilities utilizing ocean outfalls for disposal of treated wastewater to (i) reduce the normal use of ocean outfalls by the end of 2025; (i) reduce nutrient discharges, and (iii) reuse 60% of the baseline wastewater flow by 2025.

To date, our department has completed 30% of the program. In 2021, WASD had completed 12.5%, meaning that in two years the execution of projects has more than doubled.

Can you tell us about WASD’s water industrial reuse strategy?

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava challenged the County’s water professionals to analyse, collaborate, and develop alternative approaches for a comprehensive water reuse strategy.

As part of the Capital Improvement Program upgrades at the department’s wastewater treatment plants, WASD is implementing industrial water reuse based on the use of Effluent Energy Recovery Systems, which will use heat exchangers and treated wastewater to provide cooling to buildings and energy-intensive processes at our three wastewater treatment plants.

Through this innovative industrial water reuse strategy – when fully implemented - the Department will increase its commitment from 15 million gallons of reuse per day to more than 100 million gallons per day. Once completed, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department will be the number one utility in the state – and along the East Coast - for industrial reuse.

WASD recently announced a $1.2 billion series of upgrades, including upgrades to comply with the Ocean Outfall Legislation to the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant. What are the goals of these upgrades?

Planned upgrades to the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant will support critical process improvements implemented as part of the Department’s $8.6 billion Capital Improvement Program to achieve the Department’s vision of becoming a model utility of excellence in reliability, resilience, and environmental stewardship.

The CDWWTP system betterments include the construction of industrial and municipal injection wells and associated pump stations that will serve as the primary source of effluent disposal. Upgrades to the existing effluent pump station will minimize the impacts of large-scale storms on plant operations.

In addition, two new electrical distribution buildings that meet sea level rise design criteria will provide redundancy through the use of diesel engine generators, energy savings with equipment that surpasses the latest energy ratings, and remote operation capabilities for increased safety for plant staff during major storm events.

Finally, a new stormwater collection system that includes a retention pond will reduce flows to the plant during peak conditions, and new oxygenation trains and clarifiers will increase hydraulic capacity to future-proof the treatment system.

What specific technologies and innovations are being implemented in the upgrades and what is their anticipated impact on wastewater operations and water reuse?

The plant's electrical equipment will be safeguarded from storm surge damage by raising the Electrical Distribution Buildings and substations. In the event of Florida Power and Light (FPL) power outages, EPA-rated Tier 4 diesel engine generators will ensure that the plant remains operational. Additionally, a new co-generation system harnesses natural gas produced by the plant’s digesters to power co-generation engines, which will supply both power and heat to other treatment processes.

What are the expected environmental benefits of the planned upgrades to Miami-Dade’s wastewater infrastructure?

The department has design guidelines for storm surge and sea level rise that are informed by the Unified Sea Level Rise Projection

The planned upgrades to Miami-Dade’s wastewater infrastructure under the Ocean Outfall Legislation Program are expected to bring significant environmental benefits. By the end of 2025, these improvements will reduce nutrient discharges significantly, including a reduction of 2.9 million pounds of total potassium and 59.9 million pounds of total nitrogen. Additionally, the upgrades aim to reuse 60% of the baseline wastewater flow by 2025. A key component of this initiative is the implementation of Effluent Energy Recovery Systems, which will increase the county's reuse commitment from 15 million gallons per day (MGD) to more than 100 MGD.

Increasing the capacity and redundancy of the wastewater collection and treatment system will help safeguard our treatment plants against shutdowns resulting from major storm events.

How is WASD addressing the challenges of climate change in its infrastructure planning and water reuse initiatives?

To ensure that the largest water and sewer utility in the Southeastern United States continues to provide uninterrupted service to an area with a population of more than 2.8 million, infrastructure investment is critical. The department is currently in its 11th year of its Capital Improvement Program.

The department has established specific design guidelines for storm surge and sea level rise that are informed by the Unified Sea Level Rise Projection developed by the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact.

Can you discuss the funding mechanisms for these infrastructure projects, including any federal or state grants, bonds, or public-private partnerships?

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department continues to break Capital Improvement Program records, having invested more than $599 million to upgrade the County’s water and sewer infrastructure during the fiscal year 2022-2023, which surpassed the previous year’s historic execution rate of $557 million.

WASD continuously looks for innovative funding mechanisms so as to mitigate financial impact on its customers. To date, the department has utilized financial options that include:  Revenue Bonds Sold, Subordinate debt, WIFIA loans, SRF loans, Renewal and Replacement funds, General Obligation Bonds, and Plant Expansion. The department has also received two Resilient Florida Grant awards totalling more than $20 million to harden existing infrastructure that needs to operate in coordination with the new assets and upgrades that are built as part of the OOL and other programs.  These grants are funding projects that will decrease the impact of storm surge and flooding and ensure the sustained operation of water and wastewater systems during and following extreme events.