Bradenton shifts budget, extends Jacobs contract as storms overwhelm wastewater plant

Bradenton City Council on Jan. 8 approved a budget adjustment and an amendment to the city’s contract with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. to continue operations support at the city’s water reclamation facility after three storms caused unusually high flows and equipment failures. The measures passed unanimously, 5-0.

The council carried a budget amendment (BA 25-01) and approved Amendment No. 3 to the Operations Management and Facilities agreement with Jacobs. City staff said the moves shift previously authorized funds from fiscal 2024 into fiscal 2025 so ordered vehicles and multi-year capital projects can be procured and to extend Jacobs’ on-site support while the plant recovers.

Why it matters: City officials said the reclamation plant—designed to treat roughly 5 to 7 million gallons a day in normal conditions—experienced peak flows of as much as 25 to 30 million gallons a day during the storm period, which contributed to a large accumulation of solids that require dewatering and off-site hauling. City staff said the plant’s screw presses, which compact and dewater solids, failed and needed…