Two years after awarding a contract to Kimley-Horn for a water feasibility study, the Palm Beach Town Council on Tuesday will get a progress report from the consultant.
The study was deemed necessary as the town navigates what its next steps will be when its Retail Water Service and Franchise Agreement with West Palm Beach expires in 2029. The initial contract with Kimley-Horn was for $316,380 and an additional $100,000 was awarded in November after the scope of the study was expanded.
Under the terms of the contract, Kimley-Horn was set to look at the advantages and disadvantages of 10 options, including negotiating an agreement with another utility; developing a town-owned water source, which would take ownership of the water distribution system “as is” and perform repairs and replace pipes; or entering into a public-private partnership with a water provider.
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Town Manager Kirk Blouin told the Daily News in November that the original approach was to cast as wide a net as possible and even include options that may previously have been dismissed. Kimley-Horn’s analysis, he said, had narrowed the realm of possibilities “to building our own plant or partnering with another municipality that has a water-treatment facility, including our current partner and other cities.”
Blouin said there would be many challenges if the town went with its own facility, including building costs, disruption to the community, maintenance costs and operational costs.
Mayor Danielle Moore told the Daily News in November that the issue of exploring an alternative water supply is growing in importance as the end date for the 30-year contract with West Palm gets closer.
One thing this council does particularly well, she said, is to be proactive. Expanding the scope of the study, she said, would ensure that the council has all “the right information to decide which direction to go,” Moore said.
Having lots of information will help “us to make the best possible decision,” she said, adding that accuracy is more important than speed when it comes to the data the town needs.
The town’s water source gained new attention in the spring when cylindrospermopsin, which is produced by blue-green algae, was detected in the supply.
The toxin was first was detected in low levels May 3, and subsequent test results returned May 19 and 20 topped the threshold considered harmful for vulnerable populations. But West Palm officials did not notify Palm Beach and issue a drinking water advisory until May 28.
Town officials have criticized West Palm Beach staff for that delay, and the Florida Department of Health sent a warning letter to the city in June listing four possible violations concerning cylindrospermopsin and water safety.
In response to the presence of cylindrospermopsin, West Palm Beach set up a Panel of Water Quality Experts to review its supply. The council will get an update on the panel’s work Tuesday.
The town has three representatives who attend the panel’s meetings: John Potts, a senior utilities engineer with Kimley-Horn; Jason Debrincat, senior engineer for the town; and Jason Lee, an engineer with Kimley-Horn.
West Palm Beach relies on surface water that flows 20 miles from Lake Okeechobee through canals and wetlands to Lake Mangonia and Clear Lake, just west of downtown.
The other items Tuesday’s agenda include:
- The swearing in of council members Lew Crampton, Bobbie Lindsay and Maggie Zeidman, all of whom were unopposed in the last election cycle.
- The election of a council president and president pro tem
- Presentation of the annual financial report for the 2020-21 fiscal year by Director of Finance Jane Le Clainche
- Recognition of Pam McIver and Leslie Wytrzes for their service on the Recreation Advisory Commission.
Carol Rose is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
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