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Port Richey seeks roughly $83 million in state funds for water upgrades; council approves epoxy lining for two lift stations
Summary
Acting city manager Sal told the Port Richey City Council staff is pursuing a Clean Water State Revolving Fund grant of about $83 million for SCADA and lift station rebuilds. The council approved $52,880 to epoxy-coat two lift stations while staff explained reimbursement timing and invoice handling.
Acting City Manager Sal told the City Council the city is seeking funding through a clean water state revolving fund program grant and is “seeking about $83,000,000 in infrastructure, both our SCADA system and lift station, rebuilds.”
The grant application effort and an immediate repair were front and center as the council approved a purchase to epoxy-coat the Green Street and Sand Pebble lift stations. A staff member introducing the item said the city would use a piggyback contract and asked council to approve “these lift station improvements in the amount of $52,880.” The motion passed unanimously.
Council members and staff discussed the scope and urgency. Sal said the lift-station work is part of a larger program: “we have over 45, 46 lift stations total,” and that the two stations were prioritized because of immediate concerns during the rainy season. Staff said the epoxy work is intended to address deteriorating walls, holes and stormwater infiltration.
Staff also described how engineer invoices and reimbursement will be handled for the larger program. Sal said the city is processing invoices with McKim & Creed and submitting them for reimbursement; he warned the timeline can be long, saying FDEP representatives told staff “sometimes it takes up to 90 to a hundred and 80 days until they get back, you know, get an invoice paid.” Council discussed whether invoices should be paid immediately or held pending automatic reimbursement, and staff said the city has contingency funds to pay upfront when necessary.
Restoration and Protective Services (the vendor named by staff) will be asked to prepare a Port Richey contract using the terms of a Cape Coral contract the city is piggybacking. Staff said more detailed scopes and options would be brought back to council if the larger grant request is approved.
The council did not set firm timelines for full rebuilds should the grant be funded; staff said the grant submittal deadline for the broader package is approaching and that choices about sequencing would follow grant decisions and further engineering work.
Clarifying details and next steps recorded during the meeting include the estimated grant amount (about $83 million), the epoxy purchase amount ($52,880), the city’s inventory of roughly 45–46 lift stations, and the reimbursement timeline estimates provided by FDEP staff. Council directed staff to proceed with the epoxy work and to return with further options if the state grant proceeds.
