City to ‘test drive’ water delivery system for possible reservoir
City Council unanimously approved the allocation of up to $186,657 from the Utilities Department's water and sewer fund to "test drive" the delivery of irrigation quality water from the Southwest Aggregate Mine in the northeast to Gator Slough to determine the feasibility of a proposed city reservoir that would double the storage capability of the city's freshwater canal system.
Consulting firm Water Science Associates will conduct the analysis of the idea of converting the aggregate mine into a nearly 2 billion gallon reservoir that would help replenish low canal levels in the dry season.
Utilities Director Jeff Pearson's proposal is to purchase the 1,000-acre property on U.S. 41 to turn it into a reservoir capable of delivering 15 to 17 million gallons a day using the swales along US. 41 leading to Gator Slough which is the feeder canal for the city freshwater canal system.