Polk officials OK countywide water pact

Representatives of Polk County's cities and the County Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to approve the formation of an agreement establishing the first-ever Polk County Water Cooperative.

The next step will be for a resolution endorsing the agreement to be approved by city commissions and the County Commission next month.

The agreement is scheduled for approval in April by the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.

“The benefits of this agreement will outlive our terms of office,'' said County Commissioner George Lindsey, who chaired the committee that reviewed the agreement.

The agreement, which has been under discussion since September, establishes a regional cooperative that will be able to qualify for Swiftmud funding that will help local utilities develop projects to provide enough water to meet demand for the next 20 years.

Specific projects will be selected by the cooperative's board of directors, which will be made up of representatives appointed by each of the city commissions and the County Commission.