The utilities operations department is asking the Apopka City Council to allocate $12.5 million, as part of the department’s FY26 budget, to expand the Golden Gem water reclamation plant.
The improvements include rebuilding a storage pond, a pumping station, and all other necessary equipment to make the facility operational.
That $12.5 million will only focus on the small pond at the site, which holds about 50 million gallons of water of the Golden Gem water reclamation facility, public works department director Vladimir Simonovski told the City Council at the July 8 FY26 city budget workshop.
The city is working with a consultant on evaluating the large storage pond – which holds 200 gallons — and will have a report in a few months on the best approach to repair it, Simonovski said.
Together, the small and large pond span 102.70 acres as the Golden Gem reclaimed water storage pond, located at 3513 Golden Gem Road, near S.R. 429.
A sinkhole formed at the Golden Gem pond in January 2024. Since last year, the city has been working to repair that sinkhole.
Purchased in 2009 for $4.5 million that included the land, the Golden Gem water reclamation storage pond was never in operation.
“Even if the pond is operational, you can only put so much water into it and at some point, it’s going to be full and you can’t pull the water for public access, so the reclaimed water plant facility needs to be constructed in order to utilize fully that facility,” Simonovski said.
The city is negotiating with St. Johns River Water Management District for an extension of a memorandum of agreement for the Golden Gem facility. There have been four extensions so far, with another meeting between both parties at the end of this month to discuss the fifth extension, Simonovski said.
The July 8 budget workshop explored budget requests from public works, utilities operations, sanitation and fleet maintenance, and information technology. July 7 through 9 is scheduled for the FY26 budget workshop, which will end in the City Council voting on the FY26 millage rate.
The city’s former public services department was split into two separate departments — utilities operations and public works — and each was assigned new directors.
The FY26 utilities operations budget is $40 million, with 31% allocated for administration, 23% for wastewater, 20% for water plants, 19% for water maintenance, and 5% for plant maintenance, according to utilities operations director Glen Brooks. Budget changes include a 2.4% increase for utility administration, a 24.5% increase for wastewater expenses due to lab analysis and capital funding including Golden Gem repairs.
The city is also facing important infrastructure replacement costs, particularly for lift stations and water mains.
The public works department’s FY26 operations budget would be $12,887,805, with 11% going toward design engineering, 22% toward stormwater and 67% toward streets.
City engineer, transportation coordinator and administrative specialist are budgeted out of the community development department.