New Smyrna Beach Utilities (NSBU) joined with city officials and project partners, PC Construction and Stantec, to officially break ground on the Glencoe Water Treatment Plant Pellet Softening Expansion. The project marks a historic milestone as the largest application of this advanced treatment technology in Florida.
The upgrades will improve reliability and capacity, reduce operating costs and preserve Florida's natural resources. By replacing aging 1970s-era lime softening reactor clarifiers with this modern system, NSBU will extend the life of the existing plant by at least 30 years and significantly delay the need for a costly reverse osmosis facility.
The project offers significant strategic benefits:
- Cost efficiency: The new system utilizes 45 percent fewer chemicals and consumes 50 percent less energy than the current lime softening treatment process.
- Environmental stewardship: The process eliminates lime sludge disposal and reduces byproduct waste by 80 percent.
- Increased capacity: The upgrades will boost plant capacity to 8.7 million gal. per day (mgd), with provisions for future expansion up to 11.6 mgd to meet demand.
- Resource preservation: By treating water from the Floridan aquifer more efficiently, NSBU maintains its commitment to providing high-quality potable water without increasing withdrawal limits.
The progressive design-build team of PC Construction and Stantec are partnering with NSBU to complete the design and construction of the facility expansion. This project also included extensive pilot testing of the pellet softening system to ensure the new technology will best meet NSBU's goals.
"New Smyrna Beach Utilities is excited to bring this industry-leading water softening project to our water treatment plant," said Efren Chavez, NSBU general manager/CEO. "We spent the better part of the past five years evaluating the technology and its benefits for our community. Not only will it be instrumental in providing a sustainable, high-quality water source for our customers for the foreseeable future, but it will also save significant money in our water rates for the long term through cost avoidance of building alternative water processing facilities now, such as a reverse osmosis treatment plant."
"We are proud to partner with NSBU on this exciting project," said John Yesalonia, construction executive of PC Construction. "This facility is a shining example of how improving aging infrastructure can keep a growing community sustainable and vibrant. By incorporating state-of-the-art pellet softening technology, we're not only reducing operating costs and enhancing environmental stewardship but also ensuring that New Smyrna Beach Utilities continues to deliver safe, high-quality water to its residents for generations to come."
The expansion includes the new 8,500-sq.-ft. pellet softening facility, administrative spaces, advanced electrical infrastructure and improved site utilities. Completion is expected by late 2027.
