Gasparilla Water faces massive challenge in restoration of water service to island

Hurricane Milton tore out major sections of Gasparilla Island’s water and sewer system. In order to repair and, in some cases, completely rebuild, the Gasparilla Island Water Authority faces a major challenge in restoring service to the island.

Pipes needing reconstruction include the water main to the island and uncounted locations where streets have washed out, exposing water and sewer pipes.

“I wasn’t expecting to lose thousands of feet of pipe,” said Gasparilla Island Water Authority Executive Director Ron Bolton, reached by phone Friday.

The water main lost on the Boca Grande Causeway was 1,500 linear feet along the east side of the roadbed. That line feeds water to the island from the wells at Linwood Road in Rotonda. Pieces of the pipe are strewn along the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority roadbed, which has dropped five feet.

Where the water crosses water, the pipes are underwater, what Bolton calls “subaqueous.” Those pieces are safe; it was only the sections that crossed land were washed out.

To rebuild the water main to the island, the plan is to lay the pipe on the ground, and this can be done before the roadbed of the Boca Grande Causeway is completely restored.

They have the crew available. As soon as GIWA receives the materials, workers from another utility in Margate, on the East Coast, will help install it, along with backhoes and other equipment. Finding a vendor was a challenge since St. Petersburg and Fort Myers are both full of contractors dealing with their own hurricane recovery needs. Using another utility crew means GIWA will only need to arrange housing for them. Bolton, who previously worked in water systems on the East Coast, has a network of supportive utilities to call on for mutual aid.

GIWA has the financial strength to repair the system without outside help, with approximately $8 million in the bank and $4 million in reserves. They also have access to a line of credit if needed.

GIWA’s board has made it clear to Bolton to do whatever it takes to restore service as fast as possible and not to worry about FEMA reimbursements until later. Currently, Jerry Edgerton, president of the GIWA board, is fielding calls at 703-585-3311 from the community about the project, including offers of assistance for supplies and expertise.

The GIWA staff, which had just finished a marathon recovery from Hurricane Helene and shut down the system before heading home for Hurricane Milton, are also in personal recovery mode, but pushing ahead nonetheless.

“Two of my staff are homeless because of the surge,” said Bolton. “Every person on my team is without power now.”

Parts Arriving Next Week

On Friday, Bolton heard good news about the pipes needed to repair the water main on the Causeway, which he had initially thought would take weeks to a month to find. The pipes are 12-inch C900s and will be delivered Tuesday to their Rotonda water plant.

The pipes, made of PVC, are the new standard for water systems but have been in high demand due to a national push to improve older water systems. The rebuilding of North Carolina’s infrastructure has also taxed suppliers.

“That’s super good news,” said Bolton. “That was my biggest concern.”

Bolton also spoke with the state. Local jurisdictions are working on the roads.

“What I really need is to have the roads restored so I can put my utilities there,” said Bolton. “I need the ground to be there to support my pipes.” 

Repair crews will come from Margate but not until the pipes and equipment are ready for installation. That means that late next week, they should be able to start restoring the water main to the island.

“I don’t want them to come and not be able to do anything,” said Bolton.

Currently, there are approximately three million gallons of water in GIWA’s tanks. That water is available for the fire department to fill their trucks manually and for needed for pipe testing as they rebuild service to residences and businesses. As of Friday, the fire trucks had not been even able to get back on the island.

Even before the pipes to houses are restored, having water available on the island is critical so that the fire department can access it manually from GIWA’s substation.

“We did that after Ian as well,” said Bolton, who came to Boca Grande just before the arrival of Ian. “We may at some point do the same thing for the residents.”

The timeline for the return of residential service is still unclear, as both water and sewer systems have been damaged, and the water must come first. The hurricane caused as much destruction to aboveground structures as to the island’s underground infrastructure. 

System Rebuild

For the return of water service, Bolton explained that the main water line runs from Rotonda off Gasparilla Road to the substation on Railroad Avenue. Once water reaches the station, the utility opens up lines across the island from that point, checking for small leaks as they tighten the system.

“We start at the substation, and we work north and south at the same time, one block or two blocks at a time,” said Bolton. Small leaks are not as much of a concern, but major leaks require turning off the section before proceeding; otherwise, they would lose all the water.

“The closer you are to the substation, the sooner you will be in service,” said Bolton.