Polk Regional Water Cooperative receives $11.5 million loan

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced last week that the Polk Regional Water Cooperative will be awarded an $11.5 million loan for planning the area’s future water supply.

The cooperative includes Polk County and 15 municipalities: Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton, Lakeland, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Polk City and Winter Haven.

Planning activities include development of a deep-well lower Floridan wellfield, preliminary design of water treatment plant for brackish water treatment and pipelines to convey water, and strategic planning of surface water storage areas and aquifer recharge sites.

The loan is part of $200 million distributed through the DEP’s Clean Water Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. A benefit for projects funded through the loan programs is that a significant portion of the loans do not need to be repaid by small and financially disadvantaged communities, according to a news release from DEP.