South Martin Regional Utilities

South Martin Regional Utilities Municipal Water Report Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

South Martin Regional Utility traces its origins to the first Hobe Sound water supply and pumping plant established in the early 1900s. This facility served Jupiter Island and Hobe Sound's oldest neighborhoods near the current SMRU South Water Plant on what is now Water Street. The adjacent wellfield provided then, as it does today, an exceptional drinking water source unique to its environment. A 1913 record described this high sand ridge wellfield as a "natural reservoir which seems to preserve and hold water like a sponge."

The water standpipe visible in historical sepia photographs has stood for over a century. Around 1923, it was painted with "Picture City," anticipating Hobe Sound becoming the new "Hollywood of the East" due to filmmakers' interest in the area's natural beauty. These dreams ended with the Great Depression.

UTILITY DEVELOPMENT

The original service area included Gomez neighborhoods, Banner Lake, Zeus Park, and portions of Jupiter Island. Some of these areas still use the original piping, which remains functional. In 1933, Joseph Reed formed the Hobe Sound Company, acquiring the water company and its facilities, which became known as the HOBE SOUND WATER COMPANY. This small utility supported growth on Jupiter Island and along the Bridge Road and Dixie Highway corridors through 1998.

The North Water system currently serving Hobe Sound was originally owned by W.J. Leonard, who lived at Eagle and Osprey Streets just west of today's SMRU North Water Treatment Plant. This small operation served the local neighborhood with 3-4 two-inch water wells and a hydropneumatic tank. In 1968, the Keathley family moved to Hobe Sound and purchased the water plant from Leonard, later incorporating as Hydratech Utilities in 1976.

MODERN ERA

The Town of Jupiter Island purchased both the Hobe Sound Water Company and Hydratech Utilities separately, merging them on September 2, 1998, to form South Martin Regional Utility. Between 2001-2002, the South Water Plant was expanded to utilize the deeper Floridan aquifer as an alternative water source. A reverse osmosis plant was constructed and dedicated on February 28, 2003, ensuring a reliable water supply and greater operational flexibility. In early 2012, SMRU constructed its state-of-the-art Nanofiltration Plant at the North Water Treatment Plant site to improve water taste, odor, hardness, and color.