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Utilities director details aging infrastructure, FDEP consent order and multi‑million-dollar capital projects
Summary
Public Works and Utilities Director Brent Johnson told the Sanford Commission the utilities division manages an extensive underground network and faces FDEP compliance items, a $181,000 consent-order payment on the consent agenda and large capital projects (headworks rebuild, fourth clarifier, a 5-million-gallon equalization basin) that will require additional funding.
Brent Johnson, Public Works and Utilities Director, delivered a broad utilities briefing at the July 13 work session that covered system scope, regulatory compliance, and planned capital projects.
Johnson said Sanford’s utilities budget operates as an enterprise fund and is roughly $67,000,000 for 2026; it is paid for by user fees and is separate from the general fund. He outlined the system’s scale — roughly 83 lift stations, about 345 miles of water pipe, 180 miles of sewer pipe and about 108 miles of reclaimed pipe — and said staffing has not kept pace with population growth (he cited an estimated city population of about 68,000).
Johnson reviewed outstanding FDEP compliance matters and told the Commission a consent-order payment of about $181,000 appears on the consent agenda for action; he said some items date to 2021–2022 and that DEP had been working cooperatively with the city. He described a timeline for major corrective projects and noted DEP extended some deadlines to provide time for design and construction, but the city will have to complete nutrient-reduction and infrastructure repairs.
On capital projects, Johnson said staff is roughly 30–40% through design on a headworks reconstruction and plans to add a fourth clarifier and build a 5,000,000-gallon equalization basin to increase capacity and reliability. He said the city expects to pursue SRF loans, grants and possibly bonds to fund those projects. Johnson also said staff will issue an RFP to overhaul the biosolids recycling and disposal program in hopes of eliminating the current $600,000–$700,000 per-year disposal cost and possibly generating revenue if the contract is structured correctly.
Johnson described operational upgrades in progress: converting lift stations to cellular monitoring (HydraLink) linked to SCADA, replacing about 1,800 remaining meters, installing pressure monitoring on reclaimed-water mains, and deploying smart manhole covers to detect inflow and infiltration. He also noted BMAP obligations that require nutrient-load reductions and said property owners in BMAP areas adjacent to gravity sewer will have 365 days to connect; staff estimated roughly 51 properties could be affected.
What’s next: staff will continue projects, develop a master plan for the North Water Reclamation Facility and pursue federal and state funding opportunities; the commission will be presented with contract and consent items for approval as those items come forward.
