Manatee County advances $1B water and wastewater capital plan, secures $110M credit line

Manatee County advances $1B water and wastewater capital plan, secures $110M credit lineThe Florida county is leveraging enterprise debt to accelerate its five-year utility infrastructure rollout, which features a new Southwest SCADA tower replacement for the wastewater system.

The county's FY27-31 capital improvement plan includes almost $1 billion in utility infrastructure needs, dominated by potable water and wastewater projects.

Officials confirmed the execution of a $110 million, five-year line of credit to fund initial utility enterprise projects.

Debt service for the new credit line will be supported entirely by utility ratepayers.

The tentative FY27 budget, which includes the utility enterprise funds, was officially adopted via Resolution B27002.

Manatee County, Florida, is preparing to deploy nearly $1 billion in water and wastewater capital improvements over the next five years, supported by a newly established $110 million line of credit. During a September 10, 2026, budget hearing, county officials outlined the fiscal year 2027 to 2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which totals $2.35 billion across all county departments. On the enterprise side, potable water and wastewater infrastructure dominate the investment strategy. To ensure immediate liquidity for these capital needs, the county has secured a five-year, $110 million line of credit specifically for the utility enterprise fund. According to Chief Financial Officer Claudia Campos, the borrowing was executed in anticipation of the utility department's extensive $1 billion five-year project pipeline. Debt service for the credit line will be funded directly through utility rates rather than the general fund. The FY27 tentative budget includes 14 brand new capital projects across the county, one of which is the Southwest SCADA tower replacement for the wastewater system. In addition to capital investments, the budget includes new utility staffing requests, such as customer service specialists and operational staff for the enterprise funds. The Board of County Commissioners ultimately approved Resolution B27002, formally adopting the tentative budget and its included utility enterprise funds for the upcoming fiscal year.