Hillsborough County advances $70m for stormwater and lift station resiliency, teases $95m more

Hillsborough County advances $70m for stormwater and lift station resiliency, teases $95m moreThe Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a slate of Phase 2 CDBG-DR infrastructure projects to mitigate flooding, anchored by a $42.5 million ditch restoration effort.

The board appropriated $70.15 million for 11 Phase 2 CDBG-DR projects focused on flood mitigation and wastewater resilience.

Major allocations include $42.5 million for ditch and sidedrain restoration and $18.5 million to upgrade an estimated 171 lift stations.

County Administrator Bonnie Wise stated an additional $95 million in stormwater and wastewater projects will be presented at the next board meeting.

The county also approved a contract modification to support a 3.0 MGD filtration capacity expansion at the Falkenburg Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Hillsborough County is accelerating its flood mitigation and wastewater resilience efforts, formally appropriating over $70 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds during its April 1 meeting. The Phase 2 funding package targets 11 infrastructure projects distributed across the county, consolidating them into five major Capital Improvement Program (CIP) categories. The largest single allocation is $42.5 million directed toward ditch and sidedrain restoration, followed by an $18.5 million investment in lift station resiliency. According to county documents, the lift station project is estimated to improve 171 facilities across the wastewater network. Other appropriations in the package include $7.3 million for neighborhood drainage improvements, $1.8 million for the repair and replacement of five major culverts, and an initial allocation for stormwater pump stations. The unanimous approval builds on $79 million in Phase 1 CDBG-DR projects previously authorized by the board. County Administrator Bonnie Wise highlighted the scale of the ongoing infrastructure overhaul, noting that the April 1 vote is only a precursor to an even larger package. "At the next meeting, you're going to have $95 million of additional projects for stormwater drainage and wastewater infrastructure," Wise told the board, thanking commissioners for advancing initiatives that will make the community more resilient. The massive injection of federal disaster recovery funds for stormwater management comes as the county concurrently battles severe drought conditions. Earlier in the meeting, the board issued a proclamation for Water Conservation Month, with officials noting the region is currently enduring a 14-inch rainfall deficit and a Stage 3 extreme regional supply shortage. Strict one-day-a-week irrigation restrictions have been implemented, which the county credits with reducing potable water consumption by up to 30%. In addition to the CDBG-DR package, the board's consent agenda included several notable water and wastewater procurements. Commissioners approved a $278,400 contract increase with Aqua-Aerobic Systems to maintain regulatory compliance during a filtration upgrade at the Falkenburg Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility. The upgrade will ultimately expand the plant's filtration capacity by 3.0 million gallons per day. The county also awarded a $6.6 million sole-source contract to DXP Enterprises for proprietary equipment and maintenance across its water, reclaimed, and wastewater facilities, as well as a $1.45 million contract to Fluid Control Specialties for advanced treatment parts.