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Talks Focus on Area Water Needs

Posted on: Tuesday, 30 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Aug. 30--LAKEWOOD RANCH -- When it comes to future water needs, the lines on the road maps dividing Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties don't count for much.

That fact was made clear during Monday's Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority directors meeting at the Holiday Inn in Lakewood Ranch when members realized how intertwined the counties are.

"Big development to us is something that is everyday for you all," said Fred Busack, an attorney representing DeSoto County, whose 36,000 residents use between 100,000 and 125,000 gallons of water a day.

Sarasota County commissioner Shannon Staub turned to Busack and said: "But since we are putting the brakes on development, people are heading your way. You will soon be feeling what we are feeling."

Their exchange hints at the fact that as growth impacts one county, it has a domino effect on its neighbors.

"We are truly getting to be a regional area," said Manatee County Commissioner Pat Glass, who, in her position as chairwoman of the authority board, is trying to lead all four counties as well as North Port, to come to agreement as to how the authority should expand in the next few years.

After six hours of discussion Monday, the board moved closer to having its four county members and one customer (North Port) sign a contract calling for a $120 million regional expansion program.

The expansion calls for opening a new 6 billion gallon reservoir at a water plant on the Peace River in DeSoto County by 2009, which would allow the plant to distribute 32.7 millions gallons of water a day, up from its current 24 million gallons daily figure.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has agreed to give $39 million toward the project, money that comes from taxes on residents throughout the district, including Manatee.

The federal government will add $9 million. The remaining money must come from the authority, which plans to take out bonds.

Member counties will pay the authority for the water, helping the authority pay off its debt.

While representatives from Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte and North Port spent most of the meeting arguing over language in the contract to make sure they get what they need in the future, Manatee was silent.

Manatee County, whose residents now use 42 million gallons of water per day, won't be requesting any water from this current expansion, but will take part in a future expansion, probably in 2014, Glass said.

"We saw the need for a large operation back in 1983 and created our reservoir and treatment plant," Glass said, explaining why Manatee County doesn't need to buy water from the authority right now. "Other counties were hesitant to join us."

Staub said every commissioner in Sarasota has at one time or another admitted regret that Sarasota wasn't as proactive as Manatee.

But while Manatee's future growth will make using the authority imperative, for DeSoto, the need is now.

DeSoto has few water sources on its own, even though the Peace River plant is in Lake Suzy.

It expects its growth to bring 530,000 gallons of water needs daily in the next few years and, in five years, will be using 2.5 million gallons.

"That's quite a bit of growth," said DeSoto water utility expert Jody Kirkman.

Some of the wrinkles the counties tried to iron out Monday:

--Charlotte County is under contract to sell 2 million gallons of water a day to Sarasota County. Charlotte is not pleased with the agreement and would like it changed before it signs the contract for expansion, said Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings.

--North Port, which issued more than 4,000 new building permits last year, needs roughly 4 million gallons of water a day, said city commissioner Barbara Gross.

"We have to make sure we get the water we need," Gross said. "The original contract didn't have as much allocation that we have proved we need. "

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Source: The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.)

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