Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Although the City of Monticello did not receive the full amount it was seeking from the Florida Legislature this year, it received half the ask, which is more than it received last year.
City officials were asking for $150,000 in funding from the state for the continued repair and replacement of compromised pipes in the aging water system, a project that has been ongoing for years.
But although Senator Loranne Ausley and Representative Jason Shoaf pushed the request in the last legislative session, they were only able to get $75,000 allocated. Which is more than in the 2020 session, when the city’s request went nowhere.
The argument for the funding request has always been water conservation, as the city is losing about 200,000 gallons of water monthly due to leaks and seepage because of cracked and deteriorating waterlines.
The typical request argues that the repairs would promote water conservation, improve the system’s efficiency and reduce the costs that come from unplanned, emergency repairs. It is also the argument that leaking waterlines could potentially compromise the system’s water quality and impact the public health
In the past, the city has received several appropriations for the project, which is estimated will cost more than $1 million. In the recent legislative sessions, however, the appropriations have significantly dwindled.
City officials, however, are glad for what they can get, reasoning that $75,000 is better than nothing, and that come next year, they will try again.
In the meantime, the city plans to utilize the $75,000 to remedy the system more egregious leakage problems.