Polk County commissioners OK purchase of land to house new wastewater facility

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County commissioners recently approved the purchase of 200 acres in the eastern part of the county. The property will house a new wastewater treatment facility, which officials say is needed as the county continues to grow.

As more development makes its way into Polk County, Tamara Richardson, the utilities director for the county, says her department is working to keep up.

“It’s about 200 acres, and utilities needs about 50 acres, and we’re planning to tuck our facility up into the corner,” she said.

The county’s eastern region needs more utilities. The recent approval to purchase property off Masterpiece Road will aid in adding a wastewater treatment facility.

Part of the land will also house a road and training facility, the sheriff’s district command office and part of it will be for conservation.

The county currently has three facilities — each one helps to collect and treat wastewater, which in turn is sent back out for irrigation.

It’s a cycle that Richardson believes will continue to have a positive impact for new residents.

“Part of growth is being able to provide services that meet the needs but also do not damage the environment, and that’s what this project will do,” she said.

But the new facility won’t be like the ones already in the county. Jason Jennings, the operations manager with utilities, says this one will use new technology known as membrane bioreactor technology.

“So, what this process will allow us to do, is it’ll give us the opportunity for more effective removal of solids, protozolins, viruses,” he said.

Unlike the traditional facilities, the new one will take up less space.

And the future facility is already playing a role on the existing ones, so that they’re ready to accommodate more people looking to call Polk County their home.

The project could take anywhere from three to five years to complete.

With the new technology, it will help reduce labor but provide expanded opportunities for employees to learn how to handle new technology to treat wastewater.