Utility Services staff and HDR consultants updated the Board of County Commissioners on May 6 about the county's Integrated Water Master Plan, a 20-year planning effort covering drinking water, wastewater and reuse.

The county said the project is intended to be a dynamic plan that will be updated as conditions and regulations change; consultants described an iterative process of visioning, data collection, condition assessments, hydraulic modeling, risk assessment, alternatives analysis and capital improvement planning.

Progress reported at the six-month update included completion of visioning and regulatory reviews, compilation of asset inventories for plants, pump stations and lift stations, initial modeling and calibration work for wastewater and transmission systems, early pipeline risk assessments and the start of level-of-service metric development. Consultants said they had not yet used contingency funds set aside for the project.

HDR identified eight planning goals: forecasting demand, strengthening asset-management data, defining level-of-service metrics, building a prioritized capital program, engaging stakeholders, identifying partnerships, assessing financial impacts, and supporting staff growth. The team said it will return with recommended alternatives, a prioritized 20-year CIP, and funding scenarios in subsequent quarterly updates.

Commissioners and staff agreed to continue quarterly briefings; HDR and county staff said they would advance stakeholder outreach and refine cost and financing approaches as modeling and condition assessments continue.