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Winter Haven advances $27.78M design effort for Pollard Road water‑resource facility; Plant 3 to expand to 12 MGD (expandable to 24)
Summary
City staff and Wharton Smith presented Task Order 3 for the Pollard Road water‑resource facility to modernize and expand Wastewater Treatment Plant 3 to an initial 12 MGD capacity (planned expansion to 24 MGD); the design phase is estimated at roughly $27.78 million.
City staff and the Wharton Smith design‑build team presented the next phase of work for the Pollard Road water‑resource facility, a multiyear program to modernize and expand Wastewater Treatment Plant 3.
Anthony Baxley of Wharton Smith and Kara Elliott of Kimley‑Horn described Task Order 3 as the major design phase: new headworks, biosolids processing tanks and a membrane filtration system, alongside re‑use of existing biological tanks with mechanical and tankage improvements. The plan consolidates flows at the Pollard Road site, allows decommissioning and conversion of Plant 2 to a booster role, and stages capacity for future growth.
Stavros framed the work as one of the city’s largest investments: the design package for the facility—task order 3—was described in the presentation as approximately $27,780,000 to get to a guaranteed maximum price for construction. The initial design will increase capacity at Plant 3 from 7.5 MGD to 12 MGD with the site laid out for a future 24 MGD build‑out.
Why it matters: The project aims to secure long‑term wastewater capacity for Winter Haven as the community grows and to modernize aging infrastructure. Staff said the investment is expected to last multiple generations and ties directly to recommended utility rates and the city’s capital improvement program.
Timing and procurement: Staff described the delivery method as a progressive design‑build with Wharton Smith under existing agreements; Task Order 3 initiates the hard design and permitting work. The work will include interim improvements to address immediate reliability issues while the larger expansion proceeds.
Next steps: The commission heard the presentation and will consider task order scheduling and funding details as part of the capital program and upcoming bond issuances referenced in the budget presentation.
