Polk County lands historic $70M federal grant for regional stormwater and water quality overhaul

Polk County lands historic $70M federal grant for regional stormwater and water quality overhaulThe county will deploy its largest-ever single grant award to rehabilitate pump stations, expand flood storage, and implement advanced nutrient reduction measures following severe hurricane impacts.

The Board approved a $70 million agreement with the Florida Department of Commerce using federal CDBG-DR funds.

The four-year initiative will target the Lake Hancock Basin and Peace River headwaters to address impacts from the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons.

Infrastructure work includes retrofitting stormwater pump stations, algae harvesting, and expanding flood storage capacity through strategic land acquisitions.

Due to regional water supply demands preventing lake drawdowns, treatment will focus on watershed inflows and outflows rather than removing historical muck layers.

Project budgeting will be established in the county's FY 2026-2027 Community Investment Program.

Polk County, Florida, has secured $70 million in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to overhaul its regional stormwater management and water quality infrastructure. Approved by the Board of County Commissioners on May 5, the agreement with the Florida Department of Commerce represents what County Manager Bill Beasley described as the largest single grant award in the county's history. The funding originates from the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program, part of a broader federal allocation designed to address long-term recovery needs following the severe flooding and infrastructure strain caused by Hurricanes Idalia, Debbie, Helene, and Milton in 2023 and 2024. The four-year capital initiative will target the Lake Hancock Basin, including Lake Gibson, Lake Parker, Lake Bonney, Saddle Creek, and the headwaters of the Peace River. Planned infrastructure improvements include the rehabilitation and retrofitting of stormwater systems and pump stations. The county also plans to expand flood storage capacity through strategic land acquisitions from willing sellers and the restoration of headwaters to improve natural flood attenuation. In addition to flood control, the county will implement advanced water quality solutions, including algae harvesting and nutrient reduction measures. Staff noted during the meeting that Lake Hancock historically received significant wastewater discharges, resulting in extreme muck layers at the lake bottom. While earlier feasibility studies suggested drawing down the lake to oxidize the muck, current water supply demands and regulatory restrictions on the regional basin require the county to maintain higher water levels. Consequently, the new grant-funded projects will focus heavily on treating watershed inflows and outflows rather than draining the lake. Staff member Tabitha Beal noted that the watershed-wide approach is designed to address multiple regional issues simultaneously, preventing a scenario where moving floodwaters from one area simply creates downstream issues. Budgeting for the anticipated revenues and the respective capital projects will be formally established during the county's fiscal year 2026-2027 budget and Community Investment Program process.