Palmetto takes next step toward reuse water expansion

PALMETTO — It's been a goal of the city of Palmetto since the 1990s to reduce and eventually eliminate water discharge from the wastewater plant into Terra Ceia Bay, as well as to reduce using drinking water for irrigation.

The city has made progress toward those goals as of late and took the latest step in pursuing a loan from the state to expand the wastewater plant and extend reclaimed water lines to more of the city's residents. On Monday, officials unanimously approved the plans to move the project forward during a public hearing, a requirement by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to apply for its Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan.

Palmetto is seeking to borrow $500,000 to expand reclaimed water lines to three more areas of the city:

• Neighborhoods bounded within 20th Avenue West, 10th Street West, 14th Avenue West and Seventh Street West
• Neighborhoods bounded within 14th Avenue West, Sixth Street West, 11th Avenue West and Riverside and Rosslyn drives
• Neighborhoods bounded within 14th Avenue West, 17th Street West, 10th Avenue West and 10th Street West

Public works superintendant Javier Vargas said the city is currently only serving about 54 percent of its customers with reclaimed water for irrigation purposes. He said the $500,000 line expansion would serve about 200 more people with the goal to eventually serve the entire city, but it will take time with a projected spending of about $250,000 per year of Capital Improvement Projects funding.