DEP Provides $900,000 to Punta Gorda for water supply project

The funding will allow the city to continue work toward long-term solutions for sustainable water.

The city of Punta Gorda secured $900,000 in DEP funding to help move forward a project that will create a sustainable water supply for the city for years to come. The money will help the city finalize the design plans for a reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant and brackish groundwater supply project.

Shell Creek, which serves as the primary source of water for Punta Gorda residents, contains a high level of dissolved minerals during the off-season. The construction of the reverse osmosis water treatment plant will allow the city to meet DEP standards for "total dissolved solids." It will also help the city meet Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) rules for Shell Creek, protecting and preserving the quantity of water for years to come.

“I am pleased that the legislature was able to provide funds for this important project that will improve water quality for the residents of Punta Gorda when completed,” Representative Ken Roberson said.

“The RO project is in our city’s strategic plan under two priority areas, which are infrastructure sustainability and quality of life,” Punta Gorda Mayor Rachel Keesling said. “This citizen-driven project, moving forward, means that our water-quality issues will be solved.”

This round of DEP funding will pay the cost of finalizing the design plans. As the design is being completed, the city will continue to work with DEP, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and other agencies to secure additional funding for the $28 million project.