West Palm Beach is picking up a multi-million-dollar tab to replace a failing water main buried under Palm Beach’s Cocoanut Row, the product of a nearly 30-year-old interlocal deal that puts the city on the hook for maintaining the island’s underground pipes. The work will shut down stretches of Cocoanut Row, involve open trenching, and is expected to run into the fall. Many residents are just now realizing that West Palm water customers are helping pay to fix Palm Beach’s system, and some are not thrilled.
The Town of Palm Beach is replacing a 16-inch, 2,500-foot water main built in the 1940s that runs from Royal Poinciana Way to Pendleton Lane, a project initially estimated at about $2.7 million with a $3.23 million budget after contingencies, as reported by the Palm Beach Daily News. Council records show the contract went to Johnson Davis Incorporated, and town staff will oversee construction under an existing agreement with West Palm Beach, the Daily News noted. Construction was slated to start in March and continue through November, according to town materials cited in that coverage.
How A 1990s Deal Left West Palm On The Hook
Investigative reporting uncovered a nearly 30-year-old agreement that requires West Palm Beach to provide water service and take responsibility for certain Palm Beach underground lines, including five pipes under the Intracoastal. That is why the city is fronting the cost, as reported by WPTV. The City of West Palm Beach’s capital plan lists “TOPB Cocoanut Row Water Main Improvements” in its five-year program, flagging the project in city paperwork. Project manager Jake Hurley told reporters the renewal-and-replacement fund paying for the work is built from money collected on customers’ water bills.
Closures, Detours And A Long Construction Season
The repairs involve trench laying and open cuts that will shut the southern lane of Cocoanut Row and close other stretches as needed, with Phase 1 already underway and Phase 2 planned for the summer, according to a town council presentation. A March council briefing outlines staggered lane closures and warns that traffic backups are likely to worsen, and officials have cautioned that work may run into the fall to avoid peak-season disruption, according to Town of Palm Beach materials. Residents were advised at a recent meeting to avoid traveling in May and June if they can while the most difficult phase is underway.
Bill Shock, Expiring Deal And What Comes Next
Some West Palm Beach customers say they were blindsided by the arrangement. “I don’t feel good about it at all,” resident David Traupman told WPTV. Officials note that the interlocal agreement is set to expire soon, which could open the door to renegotiating who pays for future island infrastructure. For now, West Palm Beach will cover the current project, and the work is expected to continue through the fall.
On the ground, residents are dealing with lane closures and noisy construction. For taxpayers, the situation highlights how long-running deals between governments can quietly shift costs across city lines. Town and city officials say they will keep the public updated as construction advances and as any decisions about the interlocal agreement come up at future council meetings.
