‘This is important funding.’ Bradenton wins $54M grant for water quality fixes
Florida officials awarded the city of Bradenton with a huge grant that will go toward fixes and improvements for drinking and wastewater systems.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave the city $54 million through a 100% forgivable loan program. City Administrator Rob Perry told city council members that it could advance some projects by 10 years.
About $35 million will be for drinking water projects, and another $19 million can be put toward clean water and wastewater projects. The city received the maximum amount allowable through the programs, city officials said.
“Together, these investments help modernize infrastructure that serves every home and business in Bradenton. They improve reliability during storms, reduce the risk of service interruptions and support long-term environmental compliance as part of the City’s ongoing Face It, Fix It initiative,” a release from the city stated.
While the funds determine the general type of projects, city officials still need to determine what specific projects the money will be used for.
These new funds will contribute to the city’s “Face It, Fix It” initiative, which includes over $100 million in wastewater improvement projects.
Local water quality advocacy group Suncoast Waterkeeper said the grant award proves the city is aggressively pursuing funding, but there’s still more work to do.
Funds to be used for clean water projects
Perry and Mayor Gene Brown credited the city’s partnership with Woodard & Curran — a private company that operates the city’s wastewater systems — as a key reason behind the success.
“Our team worked closely with their team, and I couldn’t be prouder of the results and the teamwork that’s gone into these two funding supplements that we received,” Perry said at a recent city council meeting. “They’re significant.”
The funding comes from part of the state’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton Disaster Recovery Program. Brown said city staff had been working since January to secure the funding.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done to get this,” Brown said.
Included in the funding is $35.1 million to improve drinking water treatment to strengthen the city’s existing systems and prevent vulnerabilities during storms. Brown said staff will likely look at projects that fortify Bill Evers Reservoir, the main source of the city’s drinking water.
“We don’t have any major problems right now, but it’s going to set us up for redundancy and future growth,” Brown said.
The other $19.1 million will be used for projects to repair and improve the city’s wastewater infrastructure, which has been a years-long struggle for the city, which is the premise of the city’s “Face It, Fix It” initiative.
Examples of projects this money could be used for include improvements at the city’s Water Reclamation Facility, lift stations and other parts of the wastewater collection system.
With the additional $54 million, Perry told city council members that it could speed up the progress on many of the city’s clean water projects, and that the design process could start by the end of the year on some.
“We’re going to get done in probably five years what would’ve otherwise taken 15-20,” Perry said.
Funding crucial to address wastewater issues
Suncoast Waterkeeper Founder Justin Bloom said the $54 million award is a good sign that the City of Bradenton is committed to funding the necessary wastewater projects.
“I’m really glad to see this, to see that Bradenton has been aggressive in seeking sources of funding to do the important infrastructure rehabilitation projects that they have committed to,” Bloom said.
Aside from the $54 million from the State Revolving Fund, the City of Bradenton also received $375,000 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that’s earmarked for the city’s sewer lining program.
“That’s a huge part of the problem here, and it’s a problem that was caused by many years of oversight, and I would say neglect, that led to a situation where the city’s collection system was in significant disrepair,” Bloom said.
Many of the planned wastewater improvements — like sewer lining and infrastructure equipment replacement — stem from the City of Bradenton’s settlement in 2023 for a lawsuit that Suncoast Waterkeeper filed under the Clean Water Act. But since the suit, the City of Bradenton has continued to have incidents of bypassing water into the Manatee River.
“They’ve been doing a lot of work, but they have a lot more to do,” Bloom said. “And the work that they still have yet to perform is going to be expensive, so this is important funding.”
City continues wastewater improvements
The city is in the midst of several high-dollar wastewater improvements, including a new $16.6 million wastewater clarifier and projects that address many of the city’s outdated lift stations, like Lift Stations No. 3 and 13 near the Manatee River.
Another ongoing project is a $13 million deep injection well at the city’s Wastewater Reclamation Facility. When finished, the well will provide the city a place to discharge treated wastewater 1,600 feet below the surface rather than into the Manatee River.
“We should be proud of what we’ve done, and we’ve done a lot, but we’ve got a lot more to do,” Perry said.
While the city is facing a state-imposed deadline of 2032 to stop discharging treated water into the Manatee River, Brown said he hopes the city can accomplish that goal sooner.
“My goal is within three years to be out of it, by 2028,” Brown said. “That’s looking like it could happen.”
