Water director details $90M loan, meter-replacement push and reclaimed-water expansion

Jason Rigler, the city's Water and Wastewater Director, told the commission the utility serves about 24,000 customers in a roughly 23-square-mile service area and operates three production plants and a repump facility.

Rigler said the department treats and distributes about 11 million gallons of potable water per day, uses ozone and liquid chlorine for treatment, and met all EPA and Florida DEP drinking-water standards this year. "Our plants operate 24/7," he said, describing staffing, automation and the department's work to replace aging infrastructure.

Rigler highlighted recent capital awards and project volumes. The city received a $5,200,000 CDBG award for the Ravi Chalb lift station, which will be bid in the coming months, and a $90,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan focused on sewer improvements; he said half of that loan's principal is forgiven and the remaining half will be a long-term, low-interest loan. He also listed recent replacements and lining totals: roughly 16,000 linear feet of potable water mains replaced, 9,000 feet of wastewater force mains replaced and 10,300 feet of gravity sewer lined.

Rigler described a large meter-replacement program that began about 1.5 years ago: roughly 3,500 meters are being replaced annually to address aging mechanical units (many installed around 2008). "We're putting, we're replacing about 3,500 a year," he said. He noted about 7,000 meters have already been replaced over the past several years, and the utility has contracted a water-audit firm to help locate lost water and improve billing accuracy.

On performance, Rigler said the utility did not record any maximum contaminant level violations and has reduced sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) since Hurricane Milton, with only one recent SSO tied to a corroded force main that is slated for replacement. Next-year priorities include continued meter replacement, expanding reuse where permitted through the St. Johns River Water Management District permitting process, lift-station and plant upgrades, and expanding the fleet of portable and fixed generators to enhance emergency resilience.

The presentation concluded with an invitation for questions; commissioners asked about bacteria testing frequency (monthly at plants, plus weekly distribution checks) and the department's approach to private lift stations, which Rigler said are largely regulated by DEP but will now be inventoried and monitored by the city with owner notification and outreach.