Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County utility officials say integrated water master plan delayed to fall 2026
Summary
Staff reported progress on an integrated water, wastewater and reuse master plan but told commissioners calibration and coordination work pushed the completion date to October–November 2026; contingency spending to date was reported and will be updated at the next briefing.
Indian River County utility staff provided the board with the fifth update on a countywide integrated water master plan on June 2, saying the project remains on track functionally but that additional hydraulic modeling and coordination with concurrent projects extended the expected completion into fall 2026.
Howard Richards, manager of capital projects for the Department of Utility Services, told commissioners that HDR Inc. has completed seven of the plan’s 10 modules, including demand and flow projections, levels of service, drinking water supply and wastewater treatment planning. Richards said the calibration of the hydraulic model proved more extensive than anticipated and that coordination with other system projects required additional time.
"We're going to be completed around the fall of 2026," Richards said, citing an October–November timeframe. He said the county had previously authorized total contingencies up to $742,750 and staff had used roughly $272,000 so far; a third contingency estimate from HDR is pending and staff will report updated numbers in a future update.
Richards described the plan as an "integrated" approach that aligns water, wastewater and reuse planning and that will be delivered digitally to allow updates as conditions change. The plan includes asset inventory and a risk model to prioritize renewals over a 20-year horizon and will incorporate further public outreach once the capital improvement program is developed.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions and thanked staff for the ongoing work. No formal action was required at the meeting.
