The Governor’s Office and Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded Cape Coral $6.5 million to support its North 1 East Utilities Extension Project, Mayor John Gunter announced at a city council meeting on Dec. 3.
The grant award will reduce the amount of local revenue needed to fund the utilities project, paid for in large part by property owners, to hook up thousands of parcels in the Northeast Cape to central water, sewer and irrigation services and get residents off well water and septic systems. “
Securing additional funding for our Utilities Extension Projects remains a top priority for City Council, and we will keep seeking every opportunity to lower costs for taxpayers,” Gunter said.
The utilities projects support the city’s reclaimed water infrastructure and water quality improvement goals. They are part of Cape Coral’s strategy to reduce reliance on the Mid-Hawthorn aquifer for irrigation water as it continues to face declining water levels.
The grant is part of about $112 million in statewide grants that the Governor’s Office identified for water-quality and alternative water-supply projects.