What the new Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department Multi-year
Capital Improvement Plan means to you
Living in South Florida, we’re surrounded by water, but only a limited amount is drinkable.The Miami- Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) staff works around the clock to deliver high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds local, state and federal requirements, as well as the reliable sewer services you use every day.
Just as cars, roads, bridges and even your body wear down due to age and stress, so do the more than 14,000 miles of underground pipes and treatment plants currently in use in Miami-Dade County. Since there are some pipes as old as 80 years still in service, WASD is embarking on a Multi-year Capital Improvement Plan to enhance and upgrade our infrastructure, which will result in improved service for decades to come, including improved firefighting capacity, environmental improvements, economic growth and increased capacity.
This 15- to 20-year project will cost $12.6 billion. Consequently, starting Oct. 1 there will be an eight percent rate increase. But keep in mind that the average residential customer willsee their bill rise but $3.36 a month. So, essentially for pennies for a day, Miami-Dade County residents will be making an investment in the infrastructure that serves more than 2.3 million of them on a daily basis, in addition to thousands of visitors and tourists.
To put things in perspective consider this: Miami- Dade County has the largest water and sewer utility in the Southeastern United States. Yet even with the rate increase, WASD’s rates will remain among thelowest in the state and the country.
Improvements to Miami- Dade County’s pipes and treatment plants are going to take time, and they are going to take money. But simply put, we’re investing in the future because our water is worth it.
