On February 9, the City Commission received a presentation from Kimley-Horn and Pegasus Engineering as part of the ongoing Stormwater Improvement Program. The focus was pond maintenance, specifically which ponds the city is responsible for and what it would take to expand that responsibility.
Not All Ponds Are the Same
Winter Springs has three categories of stormwater ponds.
Public ponds sit on city owned property and receive stormwater from city roads and public rights-of-way. Hybrid ponds are not on city property, but they still receive stormwater from city roads and rights-of-way. Some hybrid ponds have a recorded easement or maintenance agreement with the city, and some do not. Private ponds are on private property and receive stormwater from private roads only.
That distinction matters because it determines who is legally responsible for upkeep.
368 Ponds Across the City
The city has identified 368 stormwater ponds within its boundaries. Of those, 225 are maintained by other entities, including FDOT, Seminole County, and private property owners. The remaining 143 fall under city maintenance, made up of 48 public ponds and 95 hybrid ponds.
Of the 95 hybrid ponds, 55 have recorded maintenance responsibilities in place. The other 40 do not, which limits what the city can currently do without additional legal access.
What the City Currently Does
Under the current level of service, city maintained ponds receive monthly aquatic vegetation inspections and treatment as needed, monthly mowing, debris removal, minor erosion repairs, and a rapid response when damage is reported. Pond banks and outfall structures receive limited visual inspection.
What a Higher Standard Would Look Like
The presentation below outlined an anticipated level of service that goes further. It includes yearly visual inspections of pond banks and outfall structures, major erosion repairs, and proactive maintenance such as localized sediment removal, outlet protection evaluation, and control structure repair.
What It Could Cost
Based on a 15 year maintenance cycle, the estimated cost per wet pond is 130,000 dollars, covering shoreline restoration, aeration, control structure repair, and sediment removal. The estimated cost per dry pond is 32,000 dollars, covering scour and outlet protection, control structure repair, and underdrain replacement.
Three scenarios were presented to show how expanding the city’s maintenance role would affect the utility rate.
Maintaining the 48 public ponds alone would cost 292,000 dollars a year and increase the utility rate by 1.40 dollars a month. Adding the 55 hybrid ponds with recorded maintenance responsibilities would bring the total to 103 ponds, costing 714,000 dollars a year and increasing the rate by 3.45 dollars a month. Taking on all 143 public and hybrid ponds would cost just over 1,000,000 dollars a year and increase the rate by 4.80 dollars a month.
What Happens Next
Direction from the Commission on how many ponds the city will maintain will shape the staff and equipment costs presented at upcoming Utility Rate Study meetings. That decision will determine both the level of service residents can expect and the impact on future utility rates.
More information on the Stormwater Improvement Program will be shared as the rate study process continues.
