It cost $666 million, was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and can get rid of the yellow tint in Fort Lauderdale’s drinking water.
We’re talking about Fort Lauderdale’s pricey new water plant.
With a snip of a ribbon on Thursday, the city plans to celebrate that new water plant with a long-awaited grand opening ceremony.
The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center, built under a public-private partnership, replaces Fiveash, a 1950s-era plant that has served Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities for 73 years.
The new plant will make the city’s yellow-tinged water a thing of the past, city officials promise.
“People are coming to me and saying, ‘Oh my God, my water’s clear,’” Mayor Dean Trantalis said during a recent commission meeting. “These are little things in life. The $700 million was worth it.”
The mayor described the new facility at 3501 W. Prospect Road as one of the city’s most important generational milestones.
“This is a transformational investment in the future of Fort Lauderdale,” he said. “We knew it was time to build a water system capable of meeting the needs of a growing city for decades to come. The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center delivers on that commitment with modern technology, greater resiliency and the clean, clear drinking water our residents expect and deserve.”
Using advanced nanofiltration and ion exchange technology, the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center can produce up to 50 million gallons of clean, clear drinking water each day.
The new facility is designed to improve water clarity and taste, strengthen the reliability of the city’s drinking water system and provide greater flexibility to respond to evolving water quality standards.
The new plant came online in September as part of a phased transition, with both the old and new plant operating at the same time.
As the new plant is brought fully online, Fiveash will be decommissioned.
Eventually Fiveash will transition into a storage and distribution center, storing water produced by the new plant and pumping it directly into the city’s water distribution system to serve customers.
Like Fiveash, the new plant will serve customers in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Tamarac, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes and Port Everglades.
Some customers may temporarily notice differences in water color and taste during the transition, city officials say. These changes — which do not affect the safety of your drinking water — are normal and temporary and may continue through the end of 2026, the city says.
Unlike Fiveash, the new plant was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, providing an additional layer of protection for one of the region’s most critical public services.
Fort Lauderdale partnered with IDE Technologies, Ridgewood Infrastructure and Kiewit Water Facilities Florida Co. to design, build and operate the new water plant.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.
Trantalis will gather with members of the City Commission, city leadership and project partners to commemorate the completion of the facility and mark this next chapter for Fort Lauderdale’s water system.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan