Two Polk County projects, cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, to improve water quality by treating stormwater runoff within the Ridge Lakes watershed will be complete in July.
The first project consists of a stormwater treatment system for Lake Menzie. The project includes retrofitting two stormwater pipes that directly discharge into Lake Menzie. These retrofits include two swales, a retention basin, and a long infiltration basin. These infrastructure improvements will be built within the Lake Menzie Park and Fitness Trail, which is park adjacent to the lake.
The first pipe will be directed to the long infiltration basin, which will allow the water to percolate into the sandy soils to remove suspended solids and nutrients. This system will treat runoff from the State Road 17 commercial area, which accounts for about 75 percent of the runoff being treated.
Water discharging through the second pipe will be redirected into swales and the retention basin. This system will treat runoff from Dundee’s residential streets near the lake.
Other cooperators include the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Town of Dundee. The project costs approximately $130,000, which was divided between the District’s Peace River Basin Board and FDOT. The Town of Dundee provided the land for the project.
This project is based on the results of a study, completed by District staff, of the Lake Wales Ridge chain of lakes. The study showed many of these lakes receive significant untreated stormwater from urban land around them. The study identified stormwater treatment as a priority to protect and enhance the water quality of the chain of lakes.
The second project consists of installing a nutrient separating baffle box along the 5th Street outfall, which flows into Lake Eva. The lake is part of the Haines City Drainage District Ditch watershed, which drains to Lake Hamilton and ultimately to the Peace Creek Drainage Ditch. The baffle box, which is being placed entirely underground, will capture and treat stormwater runoff from the majority of downtown Haines City. Ground level hatches will allow the foliage and sediment to be vacuumed out of the unit during maintenance.
In addition to the baffle box, the existing outfall pipe is being cleared out. The outfall pipe discharges to an open ditch that has eroded. The eroded banks are being stabilized with a geo-textile material, sod and native upland and wetland plants.
The project costs approximately $400,000, which was divided between the District’s Peace River Basin Board and Haines City.
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.