Water defines Cape Coral. This coastal Florida town has 400 miles of freshwater canals that invite comparisons to Venice in Italy.Manatees navigate the canals and the nearby Caloosahatchee River among the mangrove trees that line the coast. Water and aquatic life foster a culture of environmentalism that may explain why the city’s water reclamation plants are leaders in water reuse, process automation and pollutant removal, earning national recognition along the way.Matthew Astorino has worked at Cape Coral for his entire 18-year career, starting as a laborer fresh out of high school and working up to chief operator at the Southwest
