AGENDA REPORT
DATE: July 22, 2024
TO: City Commission
FROM: Bill McDaniel, City Manager
SUBJECT: Integrated Water Strategic Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Currently, the City solely relies on groundwater resources, which continues to become more restricted due to water use regulations and environmental degradation. The City of Plant City is located within the Southwest Florida Water Management District designated Southern Water Use Caution area and within the Hillsborough River, Alafia River, and Pemberton Creek/Baker Canal watersheds. The eastern side of the City lies in the Central Florida Water Initiative that limits all upper Floridan aquifer withdrawals to 2025 demonstrated demands. Seven initiatives do meet water quality standards for parameters; such as, biochemical oxygen demand, bacteria, nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Turkey Creek above the Little Alafia is nutrient co-limited and has a biological impairment. These enhanced environmental limitations and regulations, coupled with the City’s recent rapid growth, require a wholistic analysis of the City’s water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and stormwater services (utility services). The City is part of the Tampa Bay Nutrient Consortium, which limits the amount of nutrients that can be discharged into the Hillsborough River. Fifteen waterbodies, as defined by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), are within the City limits.
The City is seeing tremendous growth. This trend coupled with the water resources constraints identified above requires the City to investigate and adapt an integrated water resources plan to meet the future needs of the City. This effort provides the City a comprehensive planning document that outlines a vision, a strategic plan, and potential improvements to supply utility services to future development, while maintaining the level of services and addressing the local and regional growing challenges.
Utilizing the City's continuing agreements for engineering services, staff has developed Engineering Work Order (EWO) 21-020-06F-11 with Dewberry Engineers, Inc. to complete this work. The Not-To-Exceed cost is $499,126.99 and time for completion is 300 days from Notice to Proceed.
Dewberry will work with the City and build on its existing planning efforts to develop an integrated water resources planning tool that considers the specific characteristics of the City’s location, needs, and limitations. This is a strategic document and not intended for development of a City funded CIP but rather a roadmap to address emerging water resources issues locally and regionally, as they continue to evolve.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Commission authorize the City Manager to execute Engineering Work Order 21-020-06F-11 with Dewberry Engineers, Inc., to develop the Integrated Water Strategic Plan, for $499,126.99.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Included in the agenda packet is a budget adjustment for $500,000 to be transferred from fund balance in the Water/Sewer Fund to Org # 40257801, Obj # 431010 - Miscellaneous Professional Services for this purpose.
Prepared by: Lynn Spivey, Director of Utilities