Ocala Water Resources
The City of Ocala ’ s Water Resources Department is over one hundred years old and in the early years began by modest means with manual labor , and hand dug and / or pulled a plow behind truck to begin to lay pipe and supply the increasing need for essential water and sewer utility services . In the early 1900 ’ s Ocala bought out a private water company , developed its own power company and in 1949 built its first wastewater treatment facility to meet the increasing needs of the growing community . Ocala currently is in the master planning stages of what will the needs be in
the future and how will it overcome those with limited funding resources , increasing regulatory requirements and a community that feels an economic impact . One option is a comprehensive plan that looks at the utility as one environmental engine that strives for a holistic approach by upgrading treatment systems so that they are more efficient , have less of an energy use footprint , and are still able to supply the same demand but at a lower cost and is better option for both the business and the environment .
Ed Earnest , Water Resources Engineer , discusses the most recent
266 September 2014