Leesburg Stormwater Master BMP Plan

The City of Leesburg needed a master plan for stormwater retrofit projects that were going to be implemented throughout the City.  The primary objective of the study was to identify cost-effective treatment projects to help the City contribute to a phosphorus reduction goal for Lakes Griffin and Harris as an active participant in the Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) for the Upper Ocklawaha River Basin.

This study followed a methodology where an initial screening of the entire City limits was performed leading to the identification of 32 potential BMP stormwater projects.  These projects were evaluated based on criteria including high pollutant loadings in areas without existing stormwater treatment systems, size of the contributing area, feasible types of stormwater treatment, wetlands involvement, property needs, partnering opportunities, and ancillary benefits (i.e. parks, trails, other stormwater improvements).  Through the evaluation process, the BMP project list was refined to 12 preferred projects. Preliminary designs, pollutant loading and removal estimates and project cost estimates were performed for the preferred projects.  These 12 BMP projects were then ranked based on the economic efficiency of the stormwater treatment, i.e. the total project cost per pound of total phosphorus removed per year. Recommendations are made for proceeding with BMP projects based on these rankings, considering scheduling and budgeting.

A prioritized list of stormwater retrofit projects are being implemented that will improve water quality of Lakes Griffin and Harris. The projects will replace and upgrade older City drainage systems while providing aesthetic and recreational improvements.