New Everglades Restoration Pump Station to Move Billions of Water South

Gov. Ron DeSantis attended the groundbreaking of a new inflow pump station in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) designed to help preserve and enrich the state's largest ecosystem, including moving billions of gallons of water, during a press conference in West Palm Beach.

According to the governor's office, the EAA Reservoir, south of Lake Okeechobee, will be able to store 78 billion gallons of water and supply 470 billion gallons of clean water annually to the Everglades and Florida Bay with help from the additional pump. The reservoir is also critical for the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies drinking water for South Florida residents.

“Florida reached a historic agreement with the Trump Administration earlier this year to expedite and advance Everglades restoration,” DeSantis said. “Today, I was pleased to announce a milestone in Everglades restoration made possible by our cooperation with the federal government."

Florida has invested nearly $8 billion in Everglades restoration and water quality under Gov. Ron DeSantis since 2019. The state also expects to exceed its $3.5 billion second-term goal, the governor's office noted.

"Florida is now breaking ground on the new EAA Inflow Pump Station, an essential component of the EAA Reservoir project," DeSantis continued. "This is the second Everglades restoration project to commence since the agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers last summer, which has empowered Florida to step up our Everglades restoration efforts."

Specifically, the new EAA Inflow Pump Station will incorporate nine pumps, making it one of the largest in the state. It will also have the capacity to transfer 3 billion gallons of water from Lake Okeechobee into the EAA Reservoir.

The governor's office noted that the pump station will help restore Florida's ecosystem, as well as reduce harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries upon completion.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert also celebrated the groundbreaking.

“The EAA Reservoir is a critical component of Everglades restoration, and Governor DeSantis has led the charge on getting this project done,” Lambert said. “Restoring America’s Everglades is one of the most ambitious environmental restoration projects ever undertaken and will restore the natural flow of clean water south to where it’s needed most. With every project we are delivering real results on time, under budget, and with strong returns for Florida’s taxpayers.”