WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson celebrated the opening of the new Malcolm Road Water Supply Facility.
Located in Winter Garden, 62 acres make up the facility grounds which include wells, water storage tanks and natural vegetation.
It’s set to produce 4 million gallons of water every day and will serve clean water to nearly 90,000 residents, according to officials.
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“This is connected to a network of water supply facilities that ensure that we balance the need of our residents and meet the different demands during different times. So, this is a great facility our latest addition to the program,” Ed Torres, Orange County Utilities Director said.
The water facility has been in development since 2011 and will serve areas such as Horizon West and Winter Garden, which continue to grow drastically with new homes and the opening of a brand-new high school this year.
“We are growing in a net of nearly 1,000 new residents each week here in Orange County and the region has been growing at a net of 1,500 people each week, so this tremendous growth creates certain challenges for us,” Demings said.
Officials explained opening a new water supply is actually a rare event with the last one opening nearly 10 years ago, but with the steady growth in West Orange County, leaders said essential services, like clean water, are a priority.
“To see this type of investment in water infrastructure — knowing that water infrastructure is health, it is life — it’s the critical component,” Wilson said.