Port Orange targets flood funding for sewer plant as Cambridge drainage works near start
City of Port Orange Public Utilities Department, Florida · Meeting date: November 4, 2026 · Published: November 5, 2026
Port Orange expects its Cambridge stormwater project to enter construction in early 2027, while seeking a lower local contribution for the Sugar Forest scheme and preparing a Transform386 funding request for wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
Key points
- The Cambridge project is scheduled for a pre-construction meeting next week, with construction expected in early 2027 and completion in spring 2028.
- The city manager said Cambridge addresses about one-third of properties affected by the city’s two major storm events; FEMA is to reimburse 75% of the project cost.
- Port Orange plans to resubmit the approximately $19 million Sugar Forest project to a new Transform386 funding round, seeking to reduce its roughly $8 million local match.
- A wastewater treatment plant upgrade will also be submitted for Transform386 funding because the facility is in a low-lying area that has experienced flooding during storms.
Full report
Port Orange is preparing to move its Cambridge stormwater project into construction while broadening its hunt for flood-mitigation funding to include upgrades at its wastewater treatment plant.
City Manager Wayne Clark told council that a pre-construction meeting for Cambridge is due next week. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027 and finish in spring 2028. The project is particularly significant because it represents about one-third of the properties affected by the city’s two major storm events, Clark said.
FEMA is expected to reimburse 75% of Cambridge’s cost, with the city responsible for the remaining share. Clark described the start of work as a major step in the city’s mitigation programme.
The city is also preparing a renewed application to the county’s Transform386 funding programme for the Sugar Forest stormwater scheme. The overall project is estimated at about $19 million, of which approximately $8 million had been allocated to the city. Clark said the county had indicated that Port Orange could resubmit the project with a lower city match.
Sugar Forest is another central component of the programme: Clark said roughly 60% of homes impacted by the major storms were located somewhere in that general area. Design is nearing completion and is expected to conclude in the early part of 2027. Construction could begin in the middle of 2027, subject to the new funding round. Clark said reducing the city’s share would be important, particularly following the passage of Amendment 3, and noted that the stormwater fund does not have revenue to cover $8 million of capital expenditure.
Port Orange also plans to submit its wastewater treatment plant upgrade to Transform386. The plant is located in a low-lying area and has experienced flooding during storms, Clark said. The city is preparing for a wider upgrade of the sewer plant, and the flooding exposure makes part of that work eligible for the funding programme.
Separately, a new FEMA application period has opened for homeowners whose properties flooded. Eligible measures include elevating a home, demolishing and rebuilding it, or demolishing it for city acquisition. Clark said the city has around 20 properties still on waiting lists from earlier funding cycles. Elevation or rebuilding projects would not impose a cost on the city, while potential acquisitions would be brought to council with an assessment of their value to the city.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council Regular Meeting, City of Port Orange Public Utilities Department