TO: Indian River County Board of County Commissioners
THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr, County Administrator
Sean C. Lieske, Director of Utility Services
FROM: Howard G. Richards, PE, Manager - Capital Projects
DATE: August 22, 2025
SUBJECT: Department of Utility Services Integrated Water Master Plan Q4 Update to the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners, IRCDUS Project ID: 00.23.547
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BACKGROUND
Indian River County Department of Utility Services (IRCDUS) provides water, wastewater, and solid waste services to major portions of the County. IRCDUS serves a population of over 150,000 in an Urban Service Area (USA) of 96.44 square miles for water and wastewater, and countywide for solid waste. Indian River County (IRC) is experiencing significant growth, which is expected to continue while even accelerating during the foreseeable future. As such, IRCDUS must take steps to ensure it can meet future demand for services from customers.
On February 22, 2024, Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 2024039 was advertised to identify qualified consulting engineering firms to develop the IRCDUS Integrated Water Master Plan (IWMP), Project ID: 00.23.547. Subsequently on June 18, 2024, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the selection of HDR Engineering, Inc. (HDR) then on September 24, 2024, approved the award of RFQ 2024039 to HDR.
ANALYSIS
From the discussions at the BCC meeting on September 24, 2024, it was agreed that the IRCDUS Director would return to the Board with informational updates at the six-month mark then quarterly thereafter. BCC also requested that a statement on the use of the approved contingency be provided at each update. The first update was held on May 6, 2025. The agenda is for the first quarterly update to the BCC.
BUDGETARY IMPACT
There is no budgetary impact for this agenda item.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTIONS
- Approved the selection of HDR for the IWMP on June 18, 2024
- Approved the award of RFQ 2024039 to HDR on September 24, 2024
- IWMP 6-month update to the Board on May 6, 2024 (no action taken)
POTENTIAL FUTURE BOARD ACTIONS
- IWMP quarterly information updates to the BCC
- Review and acceptance of the final IWMP report 3rd quarter 2026
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Environment: Advancing responsible environmental stewardship by protecting, conserving, and managing natural resources and by fostering environmental awareness.
Governance: Delivering high quality local government services and managing resources in a financially responsible and sustainable manner, embracing accountability, transparency, innovation, performance, customer service, and community engagement; the hallmarks of good governance.
Infrastructure: Planning, constructing, managing, and maintaining critical public infrastructure in response to our current needs, future demands, and the expectations of our community; embracing innovation, technology, and resiliency.
Public Safety: Protecting residents and property through effective and responsive fire rescue, emergency medical services, and emergency management. Promoting the safety and well-being of the community through effective planning and enforcement of community and life-safety standards.
Quality of Life: Enhancing the quality of life to foster a thriving community for Indian River County residents by advancing programs and policies directed toward children, seniors, economic opportunity, attainable housing, community health, recreation, and public mobility.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
No action is required. This item will be a presentation by the Department of Utility Services staff to the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners on the current progress of the Integrated Water Master Plan project.