Pinellas County injects $5M into water repair contract following rapid hurricane depletion

Pinellas County injects $5M into water repair contract following rapid hurricane depletionThe Board of County Commissioners authorized a $5 million change order for QRC Inc. to ensure continuous emergency response capabilities, while also advancing a $29.4 million federal funding application for watershed restoration.

Hurricanes accelerated spending on the FY 2024-2026 water and reclaimed water repair contract, consuming $5 million of the $5.75 million budget in Fiscal Year 2025 alone.

The Board approved a $5 million change order with QRC Inc., nearly doubling the contract's initial value to mitigate risks of service disruptions.

Commissioners also approved forms to access $29.4 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Service for post-Hurricane Milton channel stabilization.

The county expects to save $144,000 annually at the Dunn Water Reclamation Facility by switching to an interruptible power rate, supported by newly installed backup generators.

Pinellas County is accelerating its water infrastructure spending to address unforeseen damages and exhausted budgets in the wake of recent hurricanes. During a March 24, 2026 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $5 million increase to its annual water and reclaimed water repairs and extensions contract with QRC Inc. The original contract, awarded to QRC Inc. in January 2025 for $5.75 million, was designed to cover the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of water and reclaimed water pipes and manholes on an as-needed basis through 2026. However, increased emergency repairs rapidly drained the allocated funds. "Because of the hurricanes, we used through it so much faster," a county staff member told the Board. "We used $5 million of the $5.7 million in Fiscal '25 alone doing all of those repairs. Looking ahead and wanting to have contract availability to continue to do the work, we got in front of that and we put this contract amendment together now." The Change Order No. 2 brings the revised agreement amount to $10.75 million, with no changes to unit pricing or the contract term. The funding will be drawn from multiple operating and capital water and sewer funds. In a parallel move to address storm impacts, the Board approved the submission of Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program forms to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The federal program will provide $29.4 million to assist the county in recovering from Hurricane Milton. The funds, which require no local match, will be used to restore and stabilize the banks of various channels across the unincorporated county, including sections of Smith Bayou Channel, Curlew Creek, and Joe's Creek. The Board also approved two other water-related construction change orders with Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc. The first added $385,000 to the 71st Street North project to resolve an unanticipated conflict by replacing a 24-inch reclaimed water main and an inoperable valve. The second increased the Whitney Road and Wolford Road intersection project by $950,381 to address quantity overruns and utility conflicts, including the removal and installation of 8-inch water mains. Additionally, the county approved agreements with Duke Energy to utilize an interruptible service program at the William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility. According to Utilities Financial Services Director Linda Benoit, recently installed backup power and electrical connections at the Dunn facility allow the county to use the interruptible rate, which is approximately 40% less expensive than regular industrial rates, saving the utility an estimated $144,000 annually.