Florida Awards $100 Million for Water Projects, With $12.6 Million Going to Polk County Communities
Polk County and six of its municipalities will share $12.6 million in state grants for alternative water supplies — part of a $100 million, 45-project statewide award announced by the governor.
Florida is putting $100 million into springs restoration and alternative water supplies, and Tampa Bay's eastern neighbor is one of the biggest local winners. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the awards across 45 projects statewide, including $50 million for 22 projects aimed at reducing the state's reliance on traditional freshwater sources by expanding alternative supplies and promoting conservation, The Ledger reported.
Polk County and six municipalities will receive a combined $12.6 million. The town of Dundee received the largest municipal award in the county at $4.765 million, Polk County, Haines City and Winter Haven were each awarded $2 million, and the other recipients are Auburndale at $750,000, Eagle Lake at $600,000 and Bartow at $500,000, according to the state announcement reported by The Ledger.
The money is meant to help the communities connect to pipelines being installed by the Polk Regional Water Cooperative, which started construction in 2023 on its Southeast Wellfield project — wells drilled into the Lower Floridan Aquifer to provide new drinking-water supplies. The grants help cover holding tanks and other infrastructure needed to receive water from those pipelines, cooperative executive director Eric DeHaven said, as reported by The Ledger.