Lakeland Commission OKs $93M in Alternative Water Projects

There’s water, water everywhere in Florida but only so many drops to drink and so many ways to pipe those drops from wells to spigots.

With growth pressing on Lakeland and its neighboring Polk County cities, in April the City Commission agreed to sign onto preliminary proposals by the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) to develop regional projects that would secure the city’s access to an additional 10 million gallons of water a day (mgd) by 2045.

The city agreed to participate in the collaborative to diversify its water sources and secure entitlements to additional water. Its 35.2 mgd water use permit expires in 2038. Lakeland’s water utility now uses 22.5 mgd to serve more than 160,000 accounts.

Commissioners Monday approved pacts to participate in two collaborative projects — the $226 million West Polk Lower Floridian Aquifer Wellfield plan, which calls for drilling down into brackish water south of I-4, and the $415 million Southeast Wellfield project pan.