The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board Tuesday renewed and modified a water use permit (WUP) for Bartow.
The modified permit increases the permitted quantities for the city. The previous annual average permitted quantity was 4,445,800 gallons of water per day (gpd.) The new permitted quantity is 7,900,000 gpd, which is an increase of 3,454,200 gpd.
The quantity was increased to meet current and future water demands for the residential and commercial areas of Bartow. The new quantity also will meet the demands of the 17,676-acre Clear Springs development project, which was annexed into the Bartow city limits.
The permit requires the city to continue its water conservation plan and maintain its water-conserving rate structure. In addition, the city must submit monthly withdrawal reports to the District and comply with the District’s Southern Water Use Caution Area recovery strategy.
The Bartow permit expires Oct. 28, 2018.