The completion of a reservoir essential to Everglades restoration will come years ahead of schedule thanks to the early groundbreaking on a “huge” new pump station, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.

DeSantis celebrated the groundbreaking during a visit in western Palm Beach County and said that because of a July agreement that allows the state to take over construction of key restoration projects, the EAA Reservoir will be completed five years ahead of schedule, in 2029 instead of 2034.

When finished, the pump station, consisting of nine pumps, will be able to pull 3 billion gallons of water a day off Lake Okeechobee and into the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir. Previously, the Army Corps of Engineers had been slated to build the pump station.

Under the July plan, the state

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