Seminole County pursues $9.45M in state water grants, advances wastewater facility upgrades

Seminole County pursues $9.45M in state water grants, advances wastewater facility upgradesThe Board of County Commissioners has greenlit applications for FDEP funding to support resilience and algal bloom technologies, while approving critical construction and engineering contracts for local wastewater infrastructure.

County authorizes grant applications totaling up to $9.45 million to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for resilience, watershed restoration, and harmful algal bloom technologies.

Cathcart Construction Company awarded a $907,542 contract for the Rinehart Road Force Main Valves and Flow Meter Installation.

Staff authorized to negotiate a Master Services Agreement for Class I Reliability Improvements at the Greenwood Lake Water Reclamation Facility.

Seminole County is advancing a suite of water, wastewater, and watershed management initiatives following the approval of several utility items by the Board of County Commissioners on August 25, 2026. The board cleared the way for significant state funding requests and authorized key infrastructure contracts. To bolster environmental resilience and water quality, the county is requesting up to $9.45 million across three Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) grant programs. This includes up to $5 million from the Resilient Florida grant and up to $1.7 million from the Springs and Watershed Restoration grant. An additional application seeks up to $2.75 million from the FDEP's Innovative Technologies for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Grant Program to fund the Sweetwater Creek-Wekiva Connected Watershed Demonstration Corridor. On the wastewater front, the county awarded a $907,542 construction services agreement to Winter Springs-based Cathcart Construction Company, Florida, LLC. The contract covers the installation of valves and flow meters for the Rinehart Road Force Main. Additionally, the board authorized staff to negotiate rates under the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act for a Master Services Agreement to deliver Class I Reliability Improvements at the Greenwood Lake Water Reclamation Facility. In a minor stormwater action, the county also approved an $8,800 Mitigation Bank Credit Purchase and Sale Agreement with Lake County to meet St. Johns River Water Management District permit requirements for the Rosenwald Exceptional Center Drainage Improvement Project.