Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: August 5, 2026
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: N/A
FROM: Marc A. Cannata, P.E., Director, Utilities
CONTACT: Mark Ikeler, P.E., Manager, Water Reclamation Division
PHONE: 407-254-9705
DIVISION: Water Reclamation Division
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approval of funding for the Orange County/City of Orlando Water Conserv II Joint Facilities Annual Target Budget with Woodard & Curran, Inc. The County’s share of the estimated project budget is $6,748,183. All Districts. (Water Reclamation Division)
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PROJECT: N/A
PURPOSE: The Water Conserv II project, which is jointly owned by the City of Orlando and Orange County, provides over 30 million gallons of reclaimed water daily for citrus irrigation, rapid infiltration basins (RIBs), nurseries/tree farms, golf courses and residential irrigation within the Horizon West development. The operating budget for the facility is negotiated annually and must be approved each year by the Board and the Orlando City Council.
Water Conserv II Joint Facilities Annual Target Budget
The Water Conserv II operations annual target budget includes the cost of labor, equipment, chemicals, repairs, professional services, and general maintenance necessary to operate and maintain the jointly owned facility. The County’s and the City’s shares of the operation and maintenance cost are based on metered flow from the County’s South Water Reclamation Facility (approximately 65%) and the City’s McLeod Road Water Reclamation Facility (approximately 35%). The cost for all capital improvements is shared equally. The total project budget for 2027 is $12,178.991. The City’s share of the estimated 2027 project budget is $5,430,808. The County’s share is $6,748,183. Sufficient funds are available in account numbers 4420-038-1352-3135, 4420-038-1352-3820, 4420-038-1352-6310, and 4420-038-1445-6350.
The proposed Water Conserv II 2027 budget of $12,178,991 is a 4.7% increase from the 2026 budget of $11,629,100. The 2027 operations and maintenance budget increased 5% from the previous year with $4,391,253 proposed for 2027 and $4,182,460 approved for 2026. The capital and renewal portion of the proposed 2027 budget represents an increase of 4.7% from the previous year with $7,537,738 proposed for 2027 and $7,196,640 approved in 2026. The 4.7% increase in the budget is considered typical and can be attributed to normal increases in construction costs.
Utilities Department staff has reviewed the budget and recommends approval.
BUDGET: N/A