Lakeland outlines upgrades to Northside pump station, recommends replacing chlorine gas across treatment plants

Lakeland City staff on Tuesday updated the City Commission on a package of water, wastewater and wetlands projects, saying a Northside pump station replacement is under construction, a statewide grant-driven Lake Vine flood-mitigation project has advanced to a preferred alternative, and a city-funded study recommends converting four treatment facilities from chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite.

The updates, presented during a multi-department briefing, covered construction progress at the Northside Pump Station (just south of Home Depot on North 98), a wetlands-phase trail completion, a pilot algae-extraction installation at Bonnet Springs Park and early design work for a biosolids composting facility. Staff said the Northside station handles about 3 million gallons of sewage per day and had reached capacity; the contractor mobilized in December 2023 and the city now expects substantial completion in May 2025. The original contract was $7.2 million; a tax-related deductive change reduced the contract by about $167,000 and additional change orders (about $147,000) were necessary after bids were submitted before development-review comments were finalized. The current contract total announced in the briefing was about $7.18 million.

Why it matters: the Northside station increase is intended to relieve capacity constraints on the city’s northside sewer system, and the disinfection recommendation would change long-standing treatment chemicals across both water and wastewater plants.

Key project details and status

- Northside Pump Station: Wet well poured and…