Cape Coral earns award for handling of drought.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A non-profit organization commended the city of Cape Coral for how it handled its irrigation water, and ultimately, how it got itself out of the drought.
The award comes from the Water Environment Federation months after the severe drought impacted the Cape’s residents, bringing watering to one day a week.
Although not focused on any specific project, city staff told us the water reservoir at the Southwest Aggregate mining site in Punta Gorda, and the city’s agreement to pump treated wastewater from the FGUA’s plant on Del Prado Boulevard were creative enough to help get them the award.
"Us partnering with the reservoir, the aggregate mine, was very innovative and I think that probably played into their decision," utility’s director Jeff Pearson said.
"They looked holistically at everything we’ve done in the wastewater and reuse field and the recovery of that resource."
City staff said they are finalizing their analysis of the reservoir’s test run, which they deem a success in general.
They’re also working on designing and getting permits for the FGUA pumping agreement.