Cape Coral Partners with Fort Myers to Beat Drought

Innovative water project pumps millions of gallons daily to meet demand

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Despite severe drought conditions, Cape Coral is finding relief through an innovative water partnership that pumps 8 million gallons of water from Fort Myers to Cape Coral every day. The Caloosahatchee Connect Project has been a game changer for the past two years, helping the city meet demand for reclaimed water and ease stress on the local aquifer system.

Why it matters

Cape Coral relies heavily on reclaimed water for outdoor irrigation, and the Caloosahatchee Connect Project has been essential for meeting this demand during the drought. Additionally, the project is helping to recover water levels in the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer in the northeast part of the city, which had been dangerously low.

The details

The Caloosahatchee Connect Project pumps 8 million gallons of water from Fort Myers to Cape Coral every day, providing a crucial lifeline during the drought. People in Cape Coral use about 30 to 40 million gallons of reclaimed water every day, so the project has been a game changer. In the northeast part of the city, where people are switching to city water, the project is helping ease the stress on the aquifer system. The aquifer level is less than 1 foot below the Maximum Developable Limit, and it could fully recover within 2-3 years if current trends continue.

  • The Caloosahatchee Connect Project has been in operation for the past 2 years.
  • In April 2025, the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer level was dangerously low.

The players

Jeff Pearson

Utilities Director for the City of Cape Coral.

City of Cape Coral

A city in Florida that has partnered with Fort Myers to implement the Caloosahatchee Connect Project to address severe drought conditions.

Fort Myers

A city in Florida that is providing 8 million gallons of water per day to Cape Coral through the Caloosahatchee Connect Project.

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What they’re saying

“Every day that we're using reclaimed water, rather than drinking water for outdoor landscaping and other irrigation uses, helps to save our customers money, because drinking water is much more expensive.”

— Jeff Pearson, Utilities Director, City of Cape Coral

“We're less than one foot below the Maximum Developable Limit [MDL], which is basically the top of the aquifer, and we want to be above that in the safe zone.”

— Jeff Pearson, Utilities Director, City of Cape Coral

What’s next

The water management district is expected to reevaluate the water restrictions in about a year, as the aquifer levels continue to improve.

The takeaway

The Caloosahatchee Connect Project has been a crucial lifeline for Cape Coral during the severe drought, helping the city meet demand for reclaimed water and recover water levels in the local aquifer. This innovative partnership demonstrates how communities can work together to address environmental challenges and ensure a sustainable water supply.