Cape Coral is advancing the next phase of a major utilities expansion intended to connect residents north of Pine Island Road to the city’s water, sewer and irrigation systems and transition properties off wells and septic systems.
Cape Coral City Council on Nov. 19 held three back-to-back public hearings and voted unanimously to construct and fund utility services in the North 1 East Improvement Area. The work is part of the citywide Utilities Extension Project, which aims to conserve water resources and extend service north of Pine Island Road. The mandatory improvements are expected to increase property values, but residents will shoulder most of the cost.
The city plans to finance the project through debt issuance and assessments added to annual tax bills. Construction for the 7,300-parcel North 1 East area is estimated at $227.5 million and includes potable water, wastewater and irrigation infrastructure. The average single-family home assessment totals $32,288, spread over 30 years by default, at $3,385 annually with principal and interest. Billing begins in November 2026.
Residents may instead pay in full from Nov. 20 to March 31, pay a premium to pay in full between April 1 and July 31 or choose 20- or 25-year amortization periods. Hardship billing and grant programs are available for income-qualifying residents. Churches, private schools, clubs, lodges, rest homes and similar public-serving properties receive discounts, while government-owned properties are exempt. Homeowners also may face an average $3,000 plumbing connection cost and roughly $650 in associated fees, including permits and meter purchases.
A project map highlights Cape Coral’s North 1 East Improvement Area, where the city plans a $227.5 million utilities expansion to connect 7,300 parcels to municipal water, sewer and irrigation systems.
Cape Coral government
Future Utilities Extension Project phases include about 8,900 parcels across north Cape Coral and 6,300 in the southwest service areas. About 75% of the project area is expected to be complete by 2027, with full completion anticipated by 2030.
At the Nov. 19 hearings, council members approved irrigation system connections to reduce wells tapping into the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer, which reached critically low levels this year after decades of heavy use. A second hearing approved sewer system hookups, removing residents from septic tanks, and a third approved potable water connections.
In May, the South Florida Water Management District banned use of Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer water for landscape irrigation, prompting officials to seek long-term solutions to protect the resource. A joint plan with the Water Management District and Lee County includes the purchase of an off-site reservoir and pump station in Charlotte County to route water into Cape Coral’s canal system. The city also is pursuing permits to tap into a Cecil Webb–Babcock Ranch water source. Utilities Director Jeff Pearson said the plan is expected to double the city’s current 2.5 billion-gallon irrigation water supply.