One project is for Clear Water Lake, the other for Border Lake
The Apopka City Council will review two different water pumping projects intended to control the flooding that has impacted local communities: the irrigation system project design for Clear Water Lake, and the Border Lake temporary flood mitigation plan.
Public works director/city engineer Vladimir Simonovski is set to present both agenda items at the July 16 City Council meeting.
Simonovski will present the Clear Water Lake project as a presentation — meaning no action will take place on it – but give an overview of the Border Lake plan as an action item.
Over the years, homeowners have expressed frustration over the city’s handling of flooding issues at Clear Water Lake and the chain of lakes – which Border Lake is a part of – in the Piedmont-Wekiwa Road/S.R. 436 area.
In Feb. 2023, the city deployed emergency pumping for Clear Water Lake, a closed basin system with irrigation water inflow that causes rising water level. This temporary pumping finished in April 2023, which reduced the lake level by 3.4-ft and cost $194,150.
The chain of lakes in the Piedmont-Wekiwa Road/S.R. 436 area has been prone to flooding over the years.
In October 2024, the Hurricane Milton aftermath caused flooding and other problems for local homeowners especially in Wekiva Village, a community located on Piedmont Wekiwa Road.
Clear Water Lake
The proposed long-term alternative solution chosen to mitigate the flooding at clear Water Lake is to recycle surface water as irrigation source.
According to the presentation information in the July 16 City Council agenda packet, this solution was the best alternative because is it imposes less stress on the city’s reclaimed water system, the Clear Lake Landing homeowners association owns this system, and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) approve this solution.
Balmoral Group started the project design in April 2024 for $68,900. This past January, the design was finished and permitted with the SJRWMD consumptive use permit, which allows surface water withdrawal for irrigation down to elevation 63 feet.
The normal water level is at elevation 65 feet. The current Clear Water Lake elevation is 69.3 feet, according to the presentation details.
Construction cost of the Clear Lake Water irrigation project is estimated to be $456,000: $397,200 for construction plus $59,600 as a 15% contingency.
The two other alternative solutions that were considered were to pump water surface to the Northshore Reclaim Water Treatment Plant and to redo the temporary pumping whenever needed, according to the presentation details.
Border Lake pumping project
As for the Border Lake project, the City Council will vote on whether to provide extra funding for continued equipment rental until Aug. 31, the last date of the authorization period.
Continued rental of the pumping equipment would ensure its availability in case bad weather endangers its progress.
“If the rental company removes the pumps, it would be difficult to set them up again and complete any additional pumping by the end of August 31st, due to availability,” the July 16 City Council staff report said. “We would also have to pay for the mobilization and set up costs all over again. Any additional funding needed will be covered by the [city] Stormwater Fund.”
The Border Lake temporary flood mitigation plan began June 26 and is progressing well, meeting engineering projections.
“The Border Lake temporary flood mitigation plan started on June 26 2025, and is performing as anticipated,” the July 16 City Council staff report said. “Lake elevation reductions are progressing according to engineering projections, with target levels expected to be achieved in all lakes as of today, which would have exhausted all of our current funding for this project, which was approved by the budget amendment by the Council on March 5th 2025. We have additional funding in the amount of $25,784 from the Storm Water Fund to complete the first pumping phase.”
The Apopka City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on July 16 in the Apopka City Hall council chamber.