The City of Lakeland is having a tough time finding the money to keep its lakes up to state-mandated water quality standards, according to city spokesman Kevin Cook.

  • Five of Lakeland's 38 lakes not meeting state standards
  • Excessive levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, which lead to algae blooms
  • City conducting study to see if raising storm water fee is necessary

“We aren’t collecting enough to meet the regulatory needs for lake cleanup,” said Kevin Cook.  “The last time we looked at it, we were tens of millions of dollars short and every year that number continues to grow.“

The city has 38 lakes, and according to the city’s Lakes and Stormwater Manager Laurie Smith, five of them are not meeting state standards. Those five include Lake Hollingsworth, Lake Bonny, Lake Hunter, Lake Parker, and Lake Crystal.

Those lakes, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, have excessive levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which can lead to algae blooms that, in turn, could kill the fish in the water.  Smith told us the excessive levels are often caused by polluted storm water entering the lakes.

The city cleaned up Lake Hollingsworth and added pollution control devices over a decade ago at a cost of $12 million.

Lakeland residents pay a storm water fee of $6 per month, but that money only covers maintaining the storm water drainage infrastructure and street sweeping program.  

“Our storm water fee, we are collecting just enough to maintain what we have. We aren’t collecting enough to start new projects,” said Kevin Cook.

“DEP does have some grants, but that also requires us to pay 50 percent,” said Smith. “So even if they gave us 50 percent to clean up a lake, that is millions of dollars. It still requires the city to have other millions of dollars in the storm water fund. Right now we don’t have that money in the storm water fund to cover lake clean up projects.”

To solve the issue, the city is doing a rate study, to see if raising the storm water fee is needed.

Smith said residents can help by fertilizing their grass less, and watering their lawns right after fertilizing so that the fertilizer seeps into the ground and doesn’t run off. Also, she said people should also make sure people aren't throwing items in the storm drain that don’t belong there.