Hastings Water Treatment Plant Upgrades Underway
St. Johns County is making major strides in supporting the revitalization of Hastings through a series of improvements to the community’s water infrastructure. Construction began in January 2025 on upgrades to the Hastings Water Treatment Plant, a project designed to enhance capacity, reliability, and long-term sustainability for current and future residents and businesses. The Office of Public Affairs produced a video to highlight this project.
The centerpiece of the project is a new treatment building that will initially house a 330,000-gallon-per-day reverse osmosis treatment train. The system is fully expandable to meet the demands of future growth in the area.
“A water system can’t grow without the right storage,” said Kevin Ledbetter, Senior Engineer for St. Johns County Utilities. To address this, the County is adding a ground storage tank to help manage daily water demand and ensure sufficient fire flow capacity. This enhancement reduces the burden on new businesses, eliminating the need for costly on-site storage.
The plant will also be equipped with new high-service pumps, designed for both current and future water demand, and a diesel fire pump with infrastructure in place to transition to a larger electric pump down the road.
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness have been central to the design of the improvements. The County is reusing the existing degasifier, which removes hydrogen sulfide from the water, and has pre-installed piping to accommodate a larger unit if needed. A new pipeline is also nearing completion, allowing the County to distribute water more effectively throughout the community once the plant is fully operational.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
“The town of Hastings has such a rich history as a farming community in Florida, going back over a hundred years,” Ledbetter said. “Like many small towns, it has faced challenges over time, but local leaders have been working hard to bring new life to downtown. We at the County are doing our part by investing in infrastructure that supports their vision for the future.”
These upgrades to the Hastings Water Treatment Plant are a critical step in ensuring the town has the reliable utilities it needs to grow and thrive in the years ahead.
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