Advanced Water Solutions for Florida’s Municipalities

Safer, Resilient Water Systems in Florida

 

IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience in developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure projects for municipalities and industries around the world.

In Florida, IDE brings proven expertise in drinking water treatment, PFAS readiness, water reuse, project delivery, and long-term operations, with a goal of upgrading critical water infrastructure and utilizing innovative state-of-the-art technologies and meeting changing regulatory requirements providing healthy clean water.

Water Challenges in Florida

Florida is the third-most-populous state in the country and one of the fastest-growing, and its water systems are being asked to keep pace with three pressures landing simultaneously:

IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (2)

Aging Infrastructure

The 2025 Florida ASCE Report Card improved the state's drinking water grade from a C to a B-, reflecting real progress on a system that serves one of the country's fastest-growing populations. But the same report identifies a $30 billion funding gap in drinking water modernization, with demand projected to surge 13% as the population grows. The question for utility leaders is how to fund and execute that investment without straining municipal balance sheets.

IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (3)

Population Growth & Increased Migration

Florida is home to 23.4 million residents today, and continues to grow by approximately 306,000 new residents every year. For water utilities, the implication is clear: Florida will need to develop at least 390 million additional gallons per day by 2045 to meet future demand. As population growth accelerates, long-term water supply planning is no longer optional. It is essential to securing Florida’s water future.

IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (4)

PFAS Compliance

With EPA PFAS compliance deadlines approaching, Florida utilities must act now to plan cost-effective treatment solutions and avoid costly last-minute investments.

IDe icons

Saltwater Intrusion into the Biscayne and Floridan aquifers

Coastal Florida's primary drinking water sources are under sustained pressure from saltwater intrusion driven by sea-level rise, over-pumping, and prolonged droughts. The aquifers that supplied South Florida cheaply for decades now require active management, advanced treatment, or alternative source planning.

The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center Case Study:

Fort Lauderdale's New Model for Water Infrastructure

In Fort Lauderdale, IDE Technologies and Ridgewood Infrastructure are delivering one of Florida’s most important municipal water infrastructure projects: the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.

The new facility is designed to replace the aging Fiveash Water Treatment Plant and provide Fort Lauderdale residents with clear, clean, safe drinking water through a modern, advanced treatment facility. Construction began in February 2023 and is scheduled for completion in 2026, a delivery timeline made possible by the collaborative P3 model behind the project.

The plant uses nanofiltration and ion exchange technologies to treat groundwater from the Biscayne Aquifer and strengthen the sustainability and reliability of Fort Lauderdale’s water supply.

A new benchmark for municipal water infrastructure:

A new financial model for US municipal water

IDE and Ridgewood Infrastructure were unanimously selected as preferred bidder, pioneering a collaborative model for implementing P3 transactions in US water treatment.
Built for Florida's reality

Category 5 hurricane-proof construction, optimized electricity and chemical consumption, and treatment technologies designed specifically for Biscayne Aquifer water chemistry.
Recognized by the industry

The project won the IJGlobal Water Deal of the Year, Water Treatment North America (2023) and Best P3 Utility Project of the Year (2023).

Delivery Methods Designed

Around Municipal Priorities

The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center shows how a collaborative P3 model can help municipalities deliver critical water infrastructure while keeping public interests at the center.

Unlike conventional delivery models that can separate design, construction, financing, operations, and accountability, this structure was built around six priorities that matter most to public-sector leaders:

 

1-Apr-24-2026-09-52-44-5898-AM

City ownership from day one

4-4

One accountable partner

2-Apr-24-2026-09-52-44-5773-AM

Full control over water assets

5-Apr-24-2026-09-52-44-5804-AM

Reduced project risk

3-Apr-24-2026-09-52-44-6041-AM

Existing staff remain employed

6-Apr-24-2026-09-52-44-6019-AM

Long-term performance guarantee

What this means for

Florida utility leaders

The Prospect Lake model demonstrates how collaborative P3 structures can deliver on what Florida utilities actually need:

 

IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (5)
IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (6)
IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (7)
IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (8)
IDE Technologies is a global leader in water treatment solutions, with 60 years of experience developing, financing, designing, building, and operating over 500 advanced water infrastructure proje (9)
Accelerated delivery by removing the sequential handoffs that slow conventional capital projects
Reduced fragmentation between design, construction, technology, and operations under a single accountable partnership
Optimized CAPEX and OPEX across the full asset lifecycle, not just at the bid-tabulation moment

Key project risks transferred to the parties best positioned to manage them

 Public oversight preserved throughout as the City remains in control of the decisions that matter to residents 

Advanced Technologies for Municipal Water Treatment

IDE combines proven treatment technologies with deep process expertise to develop solutions tailored to each municipality’s needs:

Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO)
Operate at moderate pressure to efficiently remove salts, contaminants, and organics. High rejection rates, lower energy use than seawater RO, and extended membrane life. IDE deploys BWRO across high-TDS applications for cost-effective, low-energy treatment.
Nanofiltration (NF)

Energy-efficient alternative to RO when full salt rejection isn't required. Ideal for water softening, removing divalent ions, color, and organics while retaining beneficial minerals. Core technology in the Prospect Lake plant.
High-Recovery PFRO (Pulse Flow Reverse Osmosis)
IDE's proprietary, patented technology. Uses high-velocity brine pulses and automatic flushing to reduce fouling and boost recovery rates while lowering operating costs, addressing two of the most expensive operational challenges in long-term RO operation.
Modular Prefabricated Design (MPD) units
Pre-built, factory-tested treatment modules that integrate BWRO, NF, and PFRO technologies. Faster installation, minimal site disruption, and straightforward future expansion are particularly valuable for utilities phasing capacity additions over multiple budget cycles.
Expert operation and maintenance
Globally, IDE manages every aspect of plant O&M for the assets we operate from regulatory compliance and cybersecurity to staffing, process optimization, and emergency response. For utilities facing the well-documented industry-wide challenge of an aging operations workforce, the IDE operating model removes that risk from your capital plan.
Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO)
Operates at high pressure to remove salts, organics, and contaminants from seawater, producing high-quality drinking water from a climate-resilient source independent of rainfall and aquifer levels. High rejection rates, advanced energy recovery, and long-term membrane reliability at municipal mega-scale.
Vector@2x

Preparing for PFAS Compliance Without Overbuilding

PFAS regulations are putting new pressure on municipal water systems to act — but the right solution starts with the right strategy.

IDE supports utilities' move from uncertainty to a practical, water-specific treatment plan that supports compliance without unnecessary complexity or cost. Our approach can include source water evaluation, pilot testing, treatment train design, lifecycle cost analysis, residuals planning and full-scale implementation.

As a result, municipalities get a clear path to PFAS compliance with technologies and investments matched to each utility’s specific needs.

What IDE can contribute your water project:

  • Understand PFAS treatment options
  • Evaluate the right technology for each source water
  • Pilot and validate treatment performance
  • Optimize capital and operating costs
  • Integrate PFAS treatment into existing facilities
  • Plan for residuals, concentrate, and long-term operations

  • "We are thrilled to be partnered both with Fort Lauderdale and IDE, and to have the opportunity to support the modernization of this community's critical water infrastructure."

    Ross Posner, Managing Partner

    Ridgewood Infrastructure

  • "We're extremely fortunate for the work IDE to provide fresh drinking water to the citizens and are excited to see the benefits of this plant for years to come."

    Burns & McDonnell

  • "Partnering with IDE allows us to move breakthrough ideas out of the lab and into real-world deployment faster, combining our research strengths with their proven engineering and operational expertise."

    Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Director

    Rice University WaTER Institute

Florida's next 25 years of water security starts here

 

Whether you're scoping a PFAS treatment retrofit, evaluating brackish water capacity, planning for hurricane resilience, or exploring a public-private financing model for a major plant replacement, we'd value the chance to understand your situation and share what we've learned from Fort Lauderdale and 500 plants beyond it.

 

Ready to plan your next municipal water project?