By Emma Longwell, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice
Mayor Bryan Nelson presented an update on dealing with issues related to Border Lake during the Apopka City Council's April 2nd meeting.
“We're in a good spot,” Nelson said, indicating that progress is being made toward addressing those concerns.
Related: Can Apopka and Orange County work together to fix the Border Lake flooding issue?
The City of Apopka is implementing a water management plan to address rising water levels in local lakes and manage long-term water storage. This plan includes installing a temporary pumping station to move excess water from Border Lake to a designated storage area. The water will be directed to a drainage system operated by Orange County.
The temporary pump station will be located west of the Cleveland Wastewater Treatment Plant, and a permanent pump station will be installed behind the Walmart Neighborhood Market. The temporary station is scheduled to be operational before the rainy season begins. The project's goal is to prevent flooding and manage water storage more effectively.
“We're in a good spot,” said Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson, indicating that progress is being made toward addressing the water level concerns.
In addition to the temporary pumping system, a long-term solution is in development. The Cleveland Wastewater Treatment Plant will be expanded to include a larger retention pond to accommodate the expected amount of water.
“What we have is, in the long term, we will be using the Cleveland side," said Diana Almodovar, the interim civil engineer for Apopka. "There will be a larger retention pond that can accommodate the amount of water that we’re going to receive."
A new 55-million-gallon facility, currently under construction behind the wastewater treatment plant, will also increase the city's storage capacity.
“We should have about 55 million gallons of storage at the Southwest, which is behind the wastewater treatment plant right now," said Vladimir Simonovski, Apopka’s City Engineer. "It is under construction, but it will help with a long-term solution."
The city is working to increase its overall water storage capacity, aiming to store up to one billion gallons of reclaimed water for irrigation and other needs. Currently, Apopka produces about 6.5 million gallons of reclaimed water per day. The total annual production is roughly 10 million gallons, used primarily for irrigation.
Discussions on managing excess water are ongoing with surrounding municipalities, including Winter Garden and Ocoee. These cities are coordinating efforts to create a regional water storage and management solution. The city is in contact with the St. Johns River Water Management District and other partners to finalize a comprehensive approach.
The timeline for completing the entire project is uncertain. While the temporary pumping station will be in place before the rainy season, the permanent infrastructure will require more time to complete. Staff are working to secure funding through state and federal grants. Additionally, the city is submitting grant applications and addressing follow-up questions from grant providers. The City is also seeking local matching funds to support the project.
During the meeting, securing necessary permits before construction can proceed was emphasized. Orange County is managing permitting, which will submit applications to the St. Johns River Water Management District for approval.
The city’s efforts also include addressing the region's ongoing need for reclaimed water. Apopka is working with Winter Garden and Ocoee to address the demand for reclaimed water. While current capacity at the Cleveland Wastewater Treatment Plant is limited, plans are anticipated to address these needs with the expanded storage and infrastructure.
City officials are expected to take steps to keep the public informed about the project's progress and realistic completion timeline. At this moment, the focus is on addressing immediate water management issues while planning for long-term water storage and infrastructure.
Photos by Isabel LeCompte (@isasbel.lecompte), interning photographer for The Apopka Voice.
