State Revolving Fund (SRF) Projects

2022 Upcoming City of Lake Wales projects co-funded by SRF

Florida's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)

Watermain Replacement Project Phase 2

  • Maintenance of the utility system is an on-going effort. The City of Lake Wales has requested Dewberry Engineers Inc. to prepare construction plans to replace and upgrade segments of pipe that have outlived their useful lives. The project includes replacing and upsizing approximately 17,600 linear feet (LF) of asbestos cement pipe, upsizing of 5,300 LF of galvanized pipe, extending 500 LF of new pipe, and providing approximately 225 water service connections. The streets to be affected with this project are Ridge Manor Drive, Belleview Road, Big Tank Road, Edgewater Drive, Osceola Avenue, Wildabon Avenue, 7th, 8th, 9th, Streets, Tower Blvd and Highview Drive.

Northwest Watermain Project

  • CHA has been task with designing construction plans to upsize 5,550 LF of 12 inch watermain. This watermain will connect two existing 12 inch watermains starting at WTP#1 between Sessoms Avenue and Washington Avenue at E Street. This upsize in pipe will replace existing segments of watermain between 2"-8" and provide better fire protection and a higher level of service for the Northwest community.

Florida's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) with joint funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Florida. DWSRF programs operate around the country to provide states and communities the resources necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water resources nationwide. Florida's DWSRF program has awarded more than $273 million in funding for 62 for drinking water improvement projects during the past five years for a total of $925 million in loan funds since its inception in 1998. The program provides low-interest loans to eligible entities for planning, designing and constructing water pollution control facilities.

For more information, visit https://floridadep.gov/wra/srf/content/dwsrf-program

Florida's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

Septic to Sewer Project

  • The City of Lake Wales requested Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to prepare construction plans and specifications to extend three force mains, design an new pump station, and bring sanitary sewer to unsewered areas within the City limits of Lake Wales. Approximately 5,440 LF of 6" sewer force main will continue northerly along Buck Moore Road past the Sunset Drive and Buck Moore Road intersection and connect to a new pump station at the Bel Ombre subdivision. The City will extend gravity sewer from the new pump station to service the Bel Ombre subdivision. The gravity system is anticipated to be 2,000 LF of new 8" gravity sewer line with manholes as required. A second forcemain, 8 inch in size and approximately 870 LF in length, will be extended westerly on Sunset Drive up to Evergreen Drive. A third force main will make connection to an existing 16 inch force main at Grove Avenue and extend 3,300 LF of 6 inch sewer force main and continue south along Scenic Hwy to provide service to future development in the southern portion of Lake Wales' service area. In addition to converting the Bel Ombre subdivision from septic to public sewer, 16 residents of Hillcrest and Grove Avenue will also be converted.

Florida's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) with joint funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Florida. CWSRF programs operate around the country to provide states and communities the resources necessary to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our valuable water resources nationwide. Florida's CWSRF program has awarded approximately $1.1 billion in funding for about 120 wastewater and stormwater improvement projects during the past five years for a total of $4 billion in loan funds since its inception in 1989. The program provides low-interest loans to eligible entities for planning, designing and constructing water pollution control facilities.

For more information, visit the https://floridadep.gov/wra/srf/content/cwsrf-program

319 Grant Funding

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection offers grant funding for the control of water pollution from non-point sources which is managed by the Nonpoint Source Management Program. The program administers both the Federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grants (also known as "319 Grants") and the State Water-quality Assistance Grants (also known as "SWAG"). These grants aim to reduce nonpoint source pollution from land use activities. 

The City of Lake Wales applied and received 319 grant funding to offset the cost residents would pay to convert private residential homes from septic to public access sewer. The City was able to install service lines for connection to public access sewer, and will abandon the septic tanks at the completion of the project at no cost to the resident. Areas to be converted are the Bel Ombre Subdivision, a section of E Grove Avenue, and Hillcrest Avenue. These areas are currently on septic systems. Grant NF108 in the amount of $224,212.00  was secured to convert Bel Ombre, while grant NF109 in the amount of $53,000 will cover the cost to convert Grove Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue.

Why is it important to convert from septic to public access sewer?

While some of these systems are operating correctly and are an acceptable alternative for wastewater disposal, there are thousands of septic tanks that are old and failing. As a result, they are discharging nutrients at high levels in environmentally sensitive areas. Even those that are working correctly still discharge some nutrients into the environment. Regulatory and legislative pressure to remove septic tanks from environmentally sensitive areas continues to build. With the passage of SB552 (a.k.a the Water Bill) by the state legislature, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has been charged with developing remediation plans in Springs Protection Areas where septic systems account for more than 20 percent of the nutrient loading. Numerous other water bodies around the state are not in springsheds and are significantly impacted by the nutrient loading from septic systems, which puts greater importance on converting these septic systems to public access sewer. 

Along with the above facts, converting from septic to sewer reduces maintenance burdens on homeowners, frees up land for other purposes, increases property values, and is better for human health.