Fresh Flow: 4-Mile, $40-Plus-Million Water Main Replacement Nears in Islamorada

Source: Keys Weekly | March 3, 2023 | Reporter: Jim McCarthy

Source: David Gross/Keys Weekly

Thousands of vehicles traverse the Florida Keys on any given day, between the large out-of-county workforce and visitors flocking to their island destinations. But an Overseas Highway that’s lined with vehicles, trucks hauling boats and RVs isn’t the only busy thoroughfare on the island chain. 

Beneath the road, millions of gallons of water from the Biscayne Aquifer —  the Keys’ primary source — rush through a 40-year-old transmission main to the water treatment plant, eventually reaching faucets inside Keys homes, businesses and resorts. 

Late last month, some 24 millions gallons of water flowed through the pipes to the Keys. According to Greg Veliz, executive director for Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA), they couldn’t pump one gallon more.

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