Punta Gorda taps Carollo Engineers for brackish well rehabilitation at Shell Creek RO plant

Punta Gorda taps Carollo Engineers for brackish well rehabilitation at Shell Creek RO plantThe $152,654 engineering services contract covers design, bidding assistance, and technical oversight for the acidization and redevelopment of two declining production wells.

Carollo Engineers, alongside subconsultant RESPEC, will oversee the rehabilitation of Well No. 5 and Well No. 6, which have shown declining water quality and pumping levels.

The $152,654 authorization includes preparing an Invitation to Bid (ITB) to procure a specialized well contractor for the physical rehabilitation work.

Planned rehabilitation activities include mechanical scrubbing, high-concentration hydrochloric acid stimulation, and airlift development.

The engineering and oversight work is scheduled to be completed within six months, funded through the city's FY 2026 budget.

The City of Punta Gorda, Florida, has approved a $152,654 contract amendment with Carollo Engineers to plan and oversee the rehabilitation of two brackish groundwater production wells at the Shell Creek Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant (ROWTP). Approved unanimously by the City Council on August 26, 2026, the authorization tasks Carollo and its subconsultant, RESPEC, with design, bidding assistance, and technical oversight. According to city documents, Well No. 5 and Well No. 6 have experienced declining water quality and increasingly close estimated pumping water levels relative to their pump intake heights. The upcoming rehabilitation aims to open pore spaces, increase permeability, and restore both capacity and water quality to the wells, which have been active since July 2020. While Carollo and RESPEC will manage the engineering and oversight, the physical rehabilitation will be procured separately. The engineering team will prepare an Invitation to Bid (ITB) to select a qualified water well contractor. Anticipated field activities include mechanical scrubbing, jet-development, high-concentration hydrochloric acid stimulation, and post-acidification airlift development. Utilities Director Tom Spencer confirmed during the meeting that the engineering services are funded through the city's FY 2026 budget. The engineering authorization is scheduled for completion within six months. Following the procurement phase, RESPEC will provide up to 300 hours of on-site technical oversight during the contractor's field activities, which are expected to take up to three weeks per well. The firm will subsequently deliver a technical memorandum summarizing the results and capacity improvements achieved through the rehabilitation.