Polk County Commission Hires Consultant for County Water Pact

County commissioners on Tuesday approved the next step of a plan to form a countywide water cooperative by hiring a consultant to work with local utilities to develop an agreement and an implementation plan.

Hydro Solutions Consulting of Lakeland will be paid $190,522, which will be shared among county and city utilities.

The action is in preparation for a countywide water summit Aug. 10 in Haines City, said Polk County Utilities Director Marjorie Craig.

"That meeting will target elected officials," Craig said, explaining that although she and her staff have been working with city managers and utility directors to keep them informed, there are many officials who took office since this effort began.

The proposal is based on the Central Florida Water Initiative, which has been in the planning stage for the past two years as a way to identify sustainable water supplies for the region for the next 20 years.