Winter Springs has a stormwater system that most residents rarely think about until it rains hard enough to matter. Behind the scenes, that system includes 353 ponds, miles of drainage infrastructure, and a network of pipes and outfall structures that manage water flow across the entire city. Keeping that system functional takes sustained investment, and for years, the funding has not kept pace with what the work actually costs.
At the May 11, 2026 City Commission meeting, the city’s engineering consultants Kimley-Horn and Raftelis presented a comprehensive stormwater management and rate study. The presentation is embedded below. This post walks through what the study covers and why I supported moving it forward.
How Winter Springs Stormwater Works
Not all ponds in Winter Springs are the same, and understanding the difference matters when discussing who is responsible for what.
The city recognizes three categories. Public ponds sit on city-owned property and receive stormwater from public roads and rights-of-way. The city maintains these fully. Private ponds sit on privately owned property and receive stormwater from private infrastructure. The city has no maintenance role there. Hybrid ponds are the category that affects the most residents: they sit on privately owned property, often within HOA communities, but receive stormwater directly from public roads and infrastructure. Because public water flows into them through public pipes, the city has both access rights and a maintenance responsibility for the infrastructure connected to those ponds.
Of the 353 ponds in Winter Springs, 131 are city-maintained. That includes 43 fully public ponds and 88 hybrid ponds.
What the Maintenance Program Covers
The study presented a detailed operations and maintenance plan that goes well beyond routine debris removal. For hybrid ponds, the program includes yearly inspections of outfall structures and drainage pipes, sediment removal, pipe relining, scour and outlet protection, and control structure repairs. The average cost to fully maintain a single hybrid pond is estimated at $152,000, with a 15-year maintenance cycle across all 88 locations.
For fully public ponds, the program includes monthly aquatic vegetation inspections, monthly mowing, debris and sediment removal, aeration, erosion repairs, and pipe repair or replacement as needed.
The study also includes a creek inspection and maintenance program focused on targeted intervention where blockages and localized issues occur, as well as a series of larger capital improvement projects funded through third and fourth generation sales tax revenue.
The full presentation is embedded below. I encourage residents to review it and reach out with any questions.
The Rate Adjustment
The city’s current stormwater rate is $10.00 per month per residential unit. That rate has not been sufficient to fund a comprehensive maintenance program, and the gap between available revenue and actual maintenance costs has grown.
The proposed rate schedule phases in adjustments over four years: $15.00 in FY2027, $17.50 in FY2028, $19.50 in FY2029, and $20.50 by FY2030.
For context, Winter Springs at $15.00 per month would still be below what residents pay in Apopka, Orlando, Oviedo, Maitland, and Winter Park. The current rate of $10.00 is among the lowest in the region. The adjustment reflects the real cost of maintaining aging infrastructure that serves the whole community.
Why I Supported This
Residents have raised concerns about flooding, pond conditions, and sediment buildup for years. Those concerns are valid. The stormwater system in Winter Springs includes ponds that are decades old, and without a funded maintenance program, the problems compound over time.
What the May 11 presentation showed the commission is that the city has a plan. It is structured, professionally developed, and tied to a realistic financial forecast. The rate adjustments proposed are incremental, regionally competitive, and directly connected to a defined scope of work.
Supporting this program is consistent with what I have heard from residents in District 2: they want the city to address infrastructure problems, they want to understand what they are paying for, and they want a plan that reflects responsible fiscal management. This study provides that foundation.
The full presentation is embedded below. I encourage residents to review it and reach out with any questions.
Victoria Bruce City Commissioner, District 2 vbruce@winterspringsfl.org VictoriaForWinterSprings.com
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