LAKE WALES, Fla. — A crucial part of bringing an additional water supply to Polk County residents is now under construction but it has some residents concerned.
There’s a lot Debbie Crank loves about living in Lake Wales.
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“The quiet, the quaintness of our community. The small-town vibe,” said Crank.
She said that’s changing as more people are moving to the area. “I did move away for a few years, and just in the past five to eight years that I’ve been back, it seems like it just tripled. The traffic is crazy."
As Polk County’s population grows, the water supply has become increasingly scarce. The focus is now on ensuring a sustainable alternative water supply for the future.
The new Southeast Wellfield and Water Production Facility in Lake Wales will soon supply alternative water to 11 different Polk County municipalities, by drilling water from the Lower Floridan aquifer.
Crews are laying down pipe that will ensure Polk County residents will have sufficient drinking water. The pipes located under Mammoth Grove Road will take the new water from the water production facility and disperse it throughout Polk County.
Some Lake Wales residents including Crank are concerned about the project.
“If they are digging deeper, it can possibly cause us problems down the line," Crank said. "We are concerned about our lake levels going down and the possibility of even sinkholes. It brings up a lot of topics that I’m not super educated on but as a homeowner it does concern me."
Polk Regional Water Cooperative, which is spearheading the project, said that is not the case.
“It’s from the Lower Floridan Aquifer, it’s a source that’s not tapped by Lake Wales or any other municipality in Polk County," said Eric DeHaven, executive director of Polk Regional Water Cooperative. So, it’s a new source of water, considered alternative. So, we’re not taking anyone’s water."
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