Rising water demands create pressure in Davenport

John Lepley once showed up to a Davenport City Commission meeting wearing a towel. Lepley wanted to draw commissioners' attention to problems with the city water system. He said he and other residents were frustrated about inconsistent water pressure in their faucets and showers.

Water will again be a topic of discussion today at 6 p.m. when the City Commission holds a special meeting to review the results of a hydraulic engineering study. The commissioners will consider future steps to ensure a reliable water system in one of the state's fastest-growing cities.

Lepley, who is married to Mayor Darlene Bradley, said water pressure is now more consistent in his home, but he still hears complaints from other residents in this city of 4,277 about erratic water flow.

The city's problems are not unique. Other cities, such as Bartow and Lakeland, face challenges because of parts of their water systems are old and populations have grown.

In Davenport, sporadic reports from residents about weak water pressure prompted the commission to seek an assessment of the network, said City Manager Amy Arrington. The commission paid Reiss Engineering Inc. of Winter Springs $48,500 to conduct the hydraulic engineering study, and a representative is scheduled to discuss the results at tonight's gathering, which precedes the bi-monthly commission meeting.