The Southwest Florida Management District and Sarasota County are working together on a project that will improve water quality by treating stormwater runoff within the Hudson Bayou watershed.
The project involves constructing a water quality treatment system, which will treat stormwater runoff by removing nutrients and sediment from the runoff before it is discharged into the Alderman Street ditch canal system. The treated stormwater makes its way from the canal system through Hudson Bayou and eventually to Sarasota Bay, which is a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program priority water body.
The county only requested cooperative funding from the District for the construction of the water quality treatment system and associated engineering and inspection costs. This portion of the project is estimated to cost up to $130,000. Funding will be divided evenly between the District and Sarasota County. The District’s funding will be shared by the Manasota Basin Board and the SWIM Program.
The remaining portion of the project will eliminate structural flooding at the intersections of Pineapple Avenue, Orange Avenue and Oak Street by upgrading old drainage pipes and constructing new curb inlets to control stormwater runoff. Sarasota County is funding this portion of the project, which is approximately $2 million.
The city is responsible for all phases of the project’s design, permitting and construction, as well as hiring consultants and contractors.
The entire project is expected to be complete by July 31, 2009.
Storm water is water that flows over land during and immediately after a rainstorm. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified stormwater runoff as Florida’s most serious water quality problem today. Pollutants associated with stormwater runoff include sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, oils, greases, pesticides and bacteria. Without proper treatment in developed areas, these pollutants adversely impact the quality of the receiving water.