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Building a climate-resilient future in Miami

From rising concerns over wastewater disposal to rising seas in the future, one major utility is using a statewide directive to chart a new direction for how they treat and reuse water
Ocean Outfall Legislation Program
Water
Cities & Places

The Miami-Dade Ocean Outfall Legislation Program is bridging today’s requirements and tomorrow’s climate challenges. The program stems from a 2008 Florida law designed to protect coastal waters by requiring utilities in southeast Florida, including Miami-Dade County’s Water and Sewer Department (WASD), to phase out routine ocean discharges of treated wastewater. 

The initiative includes three major mandates: 

  • Eliminate the normal use of ocean outfalls. 
  • Reducing nutrient discharges, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. 
  • Achieving at least 60% reuse of baseline wastewater flows through feasible alternatives. 

To meet these objectives, WASD is upgrading treatment infrastructure at two of its three major plants: North District (in North Miami) and Central District (on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay). At the same time, WASD is also expanding capacity and reuse at its South District plant near Black Point Marina in southern Miami-Dade County.

2008 

Florida law requiring Southeast Florida utilities to phase out routine ocean discharges of treated wastewater 

500

fish species and 80 coral species in the Florida Reef system

$2.7B

investment in infrastructure to date 

New disposal methods support safe, efficient wastewater treatment 

As the owner’s representative, Jacobs is managing more than 20 projects across the three facilities. At the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), a new 75 million-gallon-per-day (mgd) high-level disinfection and deep injection well system, including a pump station, will safely dispose of treated effluent while protecting Florida’s natural resources. Jacobs also oversaw construction of a 150-mgd deep injection well system at the Central District WWTP. 

At the South District location, Jacobs is managing eight construction and rehabilitation projects totaling $711 million. These efforts enhance and expand the current wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure to handle future flows and loads. Jacobs is also designing a 46,000-square-foot operations center at the South District site as part of a separate project. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane (157+ miles per hour) and serve as a shelter for operators during emergencies. A similar design project for North District is in development. 

  • Water

    From rainfall to reuse, Jacobs works across the full water cycle and complete asset lifecycle — planning, designing, delivering and operating the water systems that serve communities worldwide. By combining technical, digital and operational insight, we protect water quality, strengthen resilience and keep this essential resource flowing.

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    Water Cover
$300M

in capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) savings achieved through value engineering and innovative design 

150M

gallons of treated effluent kept out of the ocean daily

54M

pounds of nitrogen and 4+ million pounds of phosphorus diverted from the ocean outfall

Protecting South Florida’s natural resources 

Just off Miami’s coast lies the Great Florida Reef — the only living coral barrier reef in North America. Home to more than 500 species of fish and 80 types of corals, this complex ecosystem is vulnerable to pollution, warming waters and nutrient discharges. By disposing of treated effluent through new deep injection wells, WASD will prevent more than 150 million gallons per day of wastewater from potentially harming the reef and its marine life. 

WASD’s advanced disposal methods not only safeguard the delicate reef ecosystem but also equip Miami-Dade’s infrastructure to handle future climate threats. Through innovative technology and resilient design, the Ocean Outfall Legislation Program demonstrates how utilities can protect natural resources while preparing for sea level rise, storm surge and extreme rainfall.  

From compliance to climate readiness 

Beyond meeting today’s treatment standards, the program is helping WASD future-proof its facilities for long-term performance and efficiency. Using Jacobs’ Flood Modeller and other Digital OneWater tools, the team evaluated extreme weather and sea level rise impacts on wastewater assets to develop a climate resilience framework. The analysis assessed projected climate variables and inland inundation caused by storm surge and heavy rainfall across multiple scenarios and time periods.  

These forward-thinking improvements set a new benchmark for environmental protection and climate resilience in wastewater management. The program’s investments will help preserve Miami-Dade’s ecosystems, while delivering a sustainable future for the region’s communities.