CLEWISTON – Plans to expand sewer service in Port LaBelle are moving forward, but future funding remains uncertain.

At their Aug. 12 meeting, Hendry County Commissioners moved ahead on designs of a wastewater collection system to serve the unsewered sections of Port LaBelle Units 2 and 3.

Hendry County Public Works Director Shane Parker said staff prepared a Master Agreement for Professional Services with Tetra Tech, Inc. (TT) along with Supplemental Task Authorization (STA) No. 1 with TT for the design and permitting of a wastewater collection system and wastewater force main pumping system to serve the unsewered sections of Port LaBelle Units No. 2  and 3.

County staff negotiated a scope and fee with TT for the design and permitting of the wastewater collection system and wastewater force main pumping system in the amount of $4,299,017.60. There is sufficient funding for this from Florida Department of Environmental Protection grants.

They are pretty large projects, Parker said.

Estimated cost for Unit 2 for construction is around $30 million, Parker explained. The estimated cost for Unit 3 is around $45 million, he added.

“How will we ever fund that?” asked Commissioner Ramon Iglesias.

“I guess Legislative appropriations,” said Parker. He said once the design is complete, they might be able to divide the work into smaller projects.

 Commissioners asked how many homes in Port LaBelle are without sewer service.

Units 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and 102 (on Glades County side), plus Banyon Village do not have sewer, explained the Port LaBelle Utilities director.