Deteriorating irrigation lines cause concern in Lakewood Ranch

Hollow asks CDD1 to flush out solutions.

By Pam Eubanks
| 7:00 a.m. August 23, 2017

Worker Jerry Lawson assists excavator driver John Hesse determine where to dig to uncover a blowoff, a valve that allows workers to manually flush out the irrigation line. Inter-District Authority's John Stewart watches.

East County
News

Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 1 supervisors have been asked to help solve a problem regarding algae-clogged irrigation lines, which are deteriorating in the Hollow section of Summerfield.

The accumulating algae stops landscaping systems from working properly and was a topic at the Aug. 10 CDD meeting.

In other business:

Even though CDD 1 supervisors approved their $2.07 million budget, an overall decrease of 0.1% compared with fiscal year 2017, assessments will increase by 5% or an average of $52 per year per household. Last year, the district used about $290,000 of its surplus to mitigate assessment increases. For the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, it will only use $200,000, causing the increase.

CDD 2 supervisors approved their $3.9 million budget, an overall increase of 7% compared with fiscal year 2017. Total assessments will increase 4.4% or an average of $69.

CDD 4 supervisors approved their $2.27 million budget. The overall budget decrease from fiscal year 2017 is 0.4%. Assessments will increase by 4.2%, or an average of $52 per household.

CDD 5 supervisors approved their $4.44 million budget, an overall net budget increase of 5.6%. Total assessments will increase by 4.4%, or an average of $117 more than last year.

CDD 6 supervisors approved their $2.2 million budget, an overall net budget decrease of 0.5% from fiscal year 2017. Assessments will increase 29.8% or an average of $659.

“It became really relevant this past spring when we had the drought,” said Roy Baldwin, the Hollow Condominium Association president. “We weren’t getting enough flow and pressure.”

Shane Raniere, who works for Progressive Community Management and serves as the Summerfield Hollow Condominium Association community manager, wrote a July 20 letter asking the CCD for help, and the matter was discussed at the CDD’s July 10 meeting.

Hollow’s association was forced to water each of its four zones one at a time, instead of two at a time as it had done for years. Grass and shrubs died, he said.

The Hollow, which is located within CDD 1, in June began paying its irrigation technician to clean the filter out weekly. The CDD owns and maintains irrigation lines within its boundaries.

The problem is caused by a buildup of algae and debris in irrigation lines. The CDD plans to add two new “blow off” valves that will allow for water to be manually flushed through the pipes to clear out sediment and debris. Those valves will be added to pipelines leading into Hollow at the western end of Palmbrush Trail and off Coralbean Drive.

Installation of the valves costs about $9,000 apiece, including excavation and other work. The valves themselves cost about $2,000. Once installed, the CDD operations team will flush the valves, generally quarterly unless needed more frequently.

Paul Chetlain, director of operations for the district, said the entire Lakewood Ranch Phase 1 has a need to replace inoperable flush valves.

“One of our initiatives this year, and in the following years, is to replace some of those flush valves,” Chetlain said.

District budgets approved Aug. 17 for CDDs 1, 2, 5 and 6 contain increases for replacing and installing new blow off valves in fiscal year 2018, which starts Oct. 1. Only District 4’s major flush valve repairs already have been made.

In District 1, supervisors have budgeted $60,500 (compared with $25,000 in fiscal year 2017) for such repairs. That should fund installation or replacement of up to seven valves.

Other districts have also increased spending on valve replacements — $59,000 in CDD 5 (compared with $10,000 in fiscal year 2017); $52,000 in CDD 2 (compared with $25,000 in fiscal year 2017); and $10,000 in CDD 6 (compared with $5,000 in fiscal year 2017).

Operations workers flush out the valves quarterly, but sometimes more frequently if needed.