EATONVILLE, Fla. — For years, the town of Eatonville has had issues with its drinking and wastewater system.
The town has deteriorating pipes and infrastructure, which has caused frequent water main breaks where the water has to be shut off or residents have to boil the water before use.
Recently, the historic town secured a more than $34 million grant to improve both systems.
What You Need To Know
- Eatonville secured a more than $34 million grant to improve its drinking and wastewater systems
- The city will get a new water plant and water storage tank
- The town council will review the final plan tonight for approval
- Construction for the updates are expected to begin at the start of next year
For the last several months, officials have been figuring out how to use that funding and will provide an update on the plans on Tuesday.
Not only is the funding giving engineers the opportunity to fulfill their master plan and get the infrastructure up to date, but it’s also an opportunity for economic development for the town.
Public works director and professional engineer Valerie Mundy is calling this a “multi-fold opportunity for Eatonville."
In the coming months, she says people can expect to see:
- A new water plant and water storage tank
- Improvements to outdated underground utilities
- Training programs to help business owners grow their companies by providing training on plumbing or electrical matters
- Expansion of green spaces and technology
“Our infrastructure is very visible to the community, so what we want to do is make it such that it’s not an eyesore. It’s not an industrial eyesore,” she said. “It’s something that fits in with the neighborhood, so we may be on the water storage tank. We may be able to put a mural.”
Some of the new technology will include the addition of solar panels, even solar trees. To make sure the town has the best tools to operate its facility.
The upgrades to Eatonville’s infrastructure have been a longtime coming, since some pipes have been under the ground since the 1950s. Mundy said that kind of infrastructure has a 50- to 60-year life span at most.
Construction for the updates will begin at the start of next year.
The public works department will present the drinking water and wastewater facilities plan to the town council for approval on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.