The Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board's FY 2001 budget includes Cooperative Funding projects. These projects are proposed by local governments, and are usually funded equally by the Basin Board and the local cooperator. One of the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board's Cooperative Funding projects is the Clearwater Town Pond Regional Rehabilitation Retention project. The project involves the design and construction of a regional stormwater treatment facility that will provide stormwater treatment for approximately 110 acres of downtown Clearwater. The facility will improve the quality of stormwater runoff discharging into Clearwater Harbor, which is an Outstanding Florida Water.
Storm water is water that flows over land during and immediately after a rainstorm.
Pollutants associated with stormwater runoff include sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, oils, greases, pesticides, and bacteria. Without proper treatment in developed areas, these pollutants in runoff adversely impact the quality of the receiving water. The project will be permitted to serve as a stormwater treatment facility for approximately 202 acres of downtown Clearwater as the area redevelops. Developers will have the opportunity to pay the city a fee to use the treatment facility, rather than constructing on-site treatment facilities. The NWSI program provides a financial incentive to local governments to develop regional, alternative sources of water, such as reclaimed water.