| LAKELAND SECURES WATER USE PERMIT THROUGH 2028 |
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LAKELAND, FL (December 17, 2008) -- On December 16, 2008 the Southwest Florida Water Management District issued conditional approval to Lakeland for a water use permit for 35.03 million gallons per day. This permitted amount is expected to meet Lakeland customer drinking water needs for the next 20-years. A larger and longer permit was possible due to the efficient use of Lakeland’s treated wastewater for power plant cooling water.
A portion of Lakeland’s treated wastewater has been used as cooling water for Lakeland Electric’s McIntosh Power Plant for more than two decades. Residual wastewater flows are further treated at the City’s wetland treatment system (north of State Route 60 and east of Mulberry) prior to discharge into the Alafia River.
Under a proposed agreement with Tampa Electric Company (TECO), the remaining treated wastewater flow of approximately 5 million gallons per day will be used as cooling water for an expansion of the Polk Power Station in southern Polk County. The combined Lakeland and Tampa Electric Company cooling water demands will beneficially reuse all of the City’s current and future treated wastewater flows. The efficient (100%) use of treated wastewater reduces the need for increasingly scarce groundwater for cooling purposes. This cooperative environmental stewardship qualifies Lakeland for a 20-year water use permit.
Tampa Electric Company is in the process of negotiating a 30-year agreement with Lakeland for its cooling water needs with contract finalization scheduled for spring 2009. All construction and operating costs to get the water from Lakeland’s wetlands to the TECO facility will be paid by others. The estimated $65.6 million in infrastructure cost is being shared equally by Tampa Electric Company and the South West Florida Water Management District based on a funding agreement approved on November 18, 2008. Lakeland will not be compensated for the wastewater during the first 20-years of the agreement because the City has no financial responsibility for the pumping, conveyance or treatment of this treated cooling water to the TECO power plant site.
Lakeland water and wastewater customers will realize ongoing benefits from this regional reclaimed water partnership. The securing of a water use permit sufficient to serve the needs of Lakeland through 2028 is of great value as other utilities struggle to secure adequate and affordable water supplies. The 35.03 million gallon per day water capacity is available from existing water supply wells and treatment plants, thereby avoiding significant capital outlays for new or expanded water supply facilities. The reuse of the treated wastewater by Tampa Electric Company also avoids future anticipated capital and operating costs to the City of Lakeland to meet tighter discharge limits and/or to improve utilization of treated wastewater through a public access reuse water system. The future avoidance of these large capital and increased operating costs will allow Lakeland’s water and wastewater rates to remain competitive over the next two decades.
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