SFWMD stays with alum, sand treatment for Caloosahatchee reservoir, or C-43

State water managers are moving forward with a project they say will meet requirements Gov. Ron DeSantis made during an executive order shortly after he took office in January 2019.

“We’re taking one bite out of the elephant with this project,” said Kim Fikoski, with the South Florida Water management District, when talking about the Caloosahatchee River reservoir, often called C-43.

The district held its final public meeting on the water treatment component Monday, and explained why the state chose a combination of alum and sand treatment over a full-blown stormwater treatment area, or STA. Those cleanup areas have been used in other parts of the state.