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Sanford utility leaders describe how the city keeps water flowing
Summary
City of Sanford utilities officials outlined day‑to‑day operations, staffing and maintenance needs, stressing 24/7 work at treatment plants and the importance of preventive maintenance as the city grows.
Lisa Holder, host of the City of Sanford’s Sanford Says series, interviewed the city’s utility leaders in the "Beyond City Hall" episode to explain how the utility department delivers water and sewer services to residents.
The department, Brent Johnson, director of public works and utilities, said, provides “potable water, sewer collection services and water treatment” that residents often take for granted. Johnson and his team described a 24/7 operation that includes water and wastewater plant operators, mechanics, distribution and collection crews, engineering staff and customer service personnel.
Pedro Gallareta, the city’s utility systems engineer, said his office reviews development plans and site plans to ensure the existing network has capacity and that pump stations and elevations are correct. "We have to review everything to accomplish with the standards of the city of Sanford," he said.
Mike Falcon, plants manager, described wastewater plant processes and upgrades at the North plant and said the facility handles roughly "6, 6 and a half million gallons a day, 24 hours a day." He explained the plant’s activated‑sludge trains and new equipment for biosolids processing, noting the facility requires continuous monitoring and preventive maintenance.
Cedric Coleman, utility operations manager, described field work—meter setting, responding to water breaks and the city’s annual hydrant flushing program executed with contractor HydroMax. He said the vacuum sewer system has telemetry for about 1,100 customers and that remote hydrant sensors (about 22 in place) and smart meters are helping the city reduce unnecessary truck rolls and respond faster to issues.
Officials emphasized staffing constraints: Mike Falcon said the plants were built decades ago and some systems still rely on older infrastructure, while Johnson and others noted the department’s staff count and open positions make preventive maintenance and capital projects challenging.
The episode closes with a reminder that the utilities division is responsible for public‑health essentials and that residents can learn more at sanfordfl.gov or by calling city customer service.
