The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday modified a water use permit (WUP) for the Southeastern Regional Utility Service Area of Polk County. The service area is approximately 1.5 miles west of the city of Frostproof, adjacent to Highway 27 and includes town of Babson Park.
The modified permit increases the permitted quantities. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 928,900 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 1,367,300 gpd, which is an increase of 438,400 gpd.
The increase in quantity is based on an estimated increase in population and the expansion of the South Polk County Jail, which is more than doubling its capacity.
As part of the permit, the county must maintain flow meters and submit monthly readings. The county must also investigate alternative water supplies, such as reclaimed water, and submit an alternative water supply plan.
Another requirement of the permit is for the county to report on the effectiveness of its water conservation rate structure. A water-conserving rate structure has tiered water rates which increase with water use, meaning high volume water users pay more per gallon.
The permit expires Sept. 27, 2011.