Managing Groveland’s Growth and Water Resources

The City of Groveland, Florida, partnered with Woodard & Curran in 2019 to provide full contract operations for the city’s water utilities following a 44 percent population spike over the course of a decade to over 22,000 people. Situated about 30 miles west of Orlando with a 1,000-acre industrial park, Groveland has become an attractive area in Lake County for both new businesses and residents, requiring robust utility services, and a holistic strategy for growth and water resources management. Groveland’s motto is the “City with Natural Charm” and their vision is to create a vibrant and thriving community that allows for growth and protects natural resources. Planned developments throughout the city could result in an additional 60,000 people over the next 20 years. In 2021, the city created a Utility Master Plan for current and future utility needs, as well as strategies for sustainable water resource management, resulting in nearly half a billion dollars of projects. The city began implementing several projects before the plan was finished, such as the new Lower Floridan Aquifer wells and a surface water alternative water supply project. In 2023, the city began work to implement a stormwater utility to support the city’s goal for a “one water approach” to address remaining strategies for sustainable water resource management. The city’s funding strategies and continuous planning efforts across the public and private sectors have been the key success factors.
At the conclusion of this session participants will be better able to:
• Envision a holistic approach for existing and future utility needs through robust planning and finance strategies that can effectively manage major growth and water resources.
• Recognize effective public and private strategies to manage significant growth to support infrastructure investment and avoid placing the burden on existing ratepayers.
• Identify opportunities to realize synergies between utility operations, engineering, and the development community to better plan for utilities and an improved level of service.