Sarasota County commissioners to vote on contract for Siesta Key pump station

After a two-year delay, Sarasota County could be moving forward with replacing the Siesta Key wastewater treatment plant with a pump station and force main.

The board approved a contract in 2010 for design and permitting of the pipeline routes. The board amended the contract twice in 2013 to add design and bid services. On Tuesday, the board will vote to add more funds for the engineering phases of the project, in total, $829,075.

The Siesta Key wastewater plant is supposed to be decommissioned in 2016. The master pump will transfer about 1.5 million gallons per day from Siesta to a mainland reclamation facility.

The $25 million master pump project will have three phases, divided into geographical sections.

Phase 1: Putting in a 20-inch force main and 20-inch water main from Siesta Key’s east side, under the Intracoastal Waterway, through Phillippi Estate Park to U.S. 41. Estimated cost: $4 million.

Phase 2: Installing More than 10,000 feet of 20-inch force main from U.S. 41 to Lockwood Ridge Road, where it will connect with an existing main. The contract for this phase will be proposed to county commissioners at the March 3 meeting. Estimated cost: $16.5 million.

Phase 3: Building a master pump station on Siesta Key and laying more than 4,000 feet of force main and 1,000 feet of water main west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Estimated cost: $5 million.

Water works

The Siesta Key Pump Station isn’t the only water-themed item on the county agenda tomorrow.

The county will vote on a $234,140 contract with EnviroWaste Services to analyze and assess downtown Sarasota’s stormwater infrastructure. The firm will clean and assess 13,877 feet of stormwater pipes and 231 structures, and determine the condition of the infrastructure downtown.

The board will hear an update report on state of the county’s various water bodies and the levels of pollution with them. Last year, the board named Phillippi Creek and Alligator Creek as the priorities for pollution reduction. According to the staff memo, the Phillippi Creek watershed showed a positive reduction in nitrogen and phosphorous levels, but no reduction in bacteria. 

IF YOU GO

What: Sarasota County Commission meeting.

When: 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 17.

Where: Commission Chambers, Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.