Garney Delivers Florida's Largest MBR System As Bee Ridge Expansion Nears Substantial Completion

The state-of-the-art facility will cut nutrient loads that drive algal blooms and produce high-quality reclaimed water for irrigation and aquifer recharge.

Garney, a leading national water and wastewater contractor with two regional offices in Florida, will be reaching substantial completion in the coming months on the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) expansion and conversion to Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) in Sarasota County. Equipped with Florida’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, the upgraded plant is now in operation and provides reliable, high-performance treatment that meets the state’s strictest water quality standards and supports the community’s long-term needs.

Serving as construction manager at-risk (CMAR) with Carollo Engineers as the design partner, Garney led a multi-year effort that expanded treatment capacity from 12 to 18 million gallons per day (MGD).

“Bringing Bee Ridge to this stage is the result of strong collaboration between Sarasota County, the design team, and our construction crews in the field,” said Eric Wagner, director of Garney’s southeast plant operations. “Delivering Florida’s largest MBR system on a constrained site while maintaining ongoing operations required careful planning, innovation, and partnership. We’re proud to help the county achieve its vision for a modern, resilient facility that will serve residents for decades to come.”

A major focus of the Bee Ridge upgrades is achieving long-term nutrient reduction. By pairing biological nutrient removal (BNR) with advanced MBR treatment, the facility will substantially lower nitrogen and phosphorus levels in its effluent, tackling key contributors to algal blooms in Florida’s bays, estuaries, and Gulf waters. The high-quality reclaimed water will be used for irrigation to help conserve potable supplies. It will also be injected into salinity barrier wells to support aquifer restoration.

“We are proud to have brought this five-year project to fruition through our partnership with Garney and Carollo Engineers,” said Brooke Bailey, director of Sarasota County Public Utilities. “This upgraded facility will not only utilize the most up-to-date technology to create better water quality, but it aims to meet the demands of our community over the next 20 years.”

The facility’s limited footprint made MBR treatment the optimal solution. Its compact configuration eliminates the need for separate clarifiers and filters while producing cleaner, more consistent effluent.

Bee Ridge is engineered for resilience in severe weather, with additional stormwater basins and elevated facilities set one foot above the 100-year flood elevation. The plant is also designed to withstand sustained hurricane-force winds. Advanced supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) upgrades, real-time monitoring with automated alarms, and redundant power supplies with uninterrupted backup systems help ensure the facility can be operated remotely and remain online during severe weather and utility outages.

The project became the first wastewater treatment plant in Florida to earn an Envision Gold award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure earlier this year, recognizing its resource efficiency, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, and community benefits.

Garney will continue with the demolition of the existing South Plant with an anticipated project completion date of summer 2026.

About Garney
Garney is the national leader in water and wastewater infrastructure. Since 1961, Garney has been committed to delivering clean, safe drinking water and protecting public health through essential water and wastewater systems. Garney specializes in self-performing construction services for water and wastewater pipelines, treatment facilities, pumping stations, water storage tanks, and industrial/heavy civil projects through conventional and collaborative delivery methods for municipal, federal, and private sector clients. As a 100% employee-owned company with 18 offices and more than 2,600 employee-owners nationwide, Garney is committed to advancing the future of water and wastewater infrastructure. At the core of Garney’s work is its guiding purpose: Building Sustainable Futures with the World’s Most Precious Resources – Water & People.