Margate board adopts update to 10-year water supply work plan; PFAS treatment, bond funding discussed

The City of Margate Planning & Zoning Board on Dec. 2 approved an amendment to the comprehensive plan to adopt an updated 10-year Water Supply Facilities Work Plan, setting the city's framework for future capital projects and regulatory compliance.

Andrew Penny, senior planner, said the amendment updates Element 3 of the city comprehensive plan after the South Florida Water Management District revised the Lower East Coast water-supply plan. "This specific amendment is providing for an update for the 10 year water supply facility work plan," Penny said, adding the revision primarily aligns the city's planning documents with new regional guidance and with a consultant report prepared by Hazen and Sawyer.

Why it matters: the update formalizes the city's assessment of future demand, needed capital improvements and actions to meet new regulatory requirements, including federal/state limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Technical briefing and PFAS testing Mark Peretzka, assistant director for DC Utilities, told the board Margate currently holds a permitted water-supply capacity of about 10.1 million gallons per day (MGD) and an average use of about 5.7 MGD; projections to 2045 increase demand by roughly 1 MGD. He said the city's allocation includes roughly 2 MGD from the C-51 reservoir and about 8.5 MGD from the Biscayne Aquifer.

On PFAS, Peretzka said federal guidance sets a 4 parts-per-trillion (ppt) limit for PFOA and PFOS. "We are about 6 and 20," he said, describing the city's current average measurements for the two substances and noting both are above the compliance threshold. The utility launched a pilot last year testing six treatment media and expects to select a treatment approach by the end of 2026. Peretzka emphasized the city must meet compliance by the EPA-delegated deadline of 2031.

Treatment options and cost considerations Board members asked whether reverse osmosis (RO) would be used. Peretzka said RO can be prohibitively expensive for Margate because it would likely require new, deeper wells, significant plant retrofits and high operational energy and membrane costs. He said the pilot is testing lower-cost approaches such as carbon filters or ion exchange so the city can meet PFAS limits without large, immediate rate increases.

Funding and capital projects Peretzka outlined how the city plans to use voter-approved bond authority to support infrastructure work. He said residents approved up to $120 million in bonds and the city expects to withdraw about $60 million this year to fund projects including a wastewater treatment plant design-build, waterline replacements, PFAS treatment installations and biosolids work driven by aging infrastructure and regulatory changes.

Board action and next steps After public and staff discussion, a board member moved to approve the item; the motion was seconded and, following roll call, the chair announced the motion passed. The amendment will be transmitted to the appropriate state agencies as required under section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, and any subsequent capital projects or specific treatment installations will proceed through separate budgeting and procurement steps.

The board adjourned after brief closing remarks and holiday greetings.