Split with Aquaterra would be a process for Heritage Harbour CDD

By Nick Williams
nwilliams@bradenton.com

When Heritage Harbour South Community Development District supervisor Joseph Jaudon expressed his concern over repair costs the district had to pay for a broken irrigation pipeline during a meeting last week, he also suggested the district sell ownership of the pipeline to Aquaterra, a developer-controlled irrigation utility.

Jaudon

That might be easier said than done.

The district could try to sell the irrigation line, but because it is a government agency, the line would have to be independently valued and offered for public bid, said district manager Jim Ward.

It could become a lengthy process.

Though the irrigation pipeline is not within the district's boundaries, the district has an agreement with Aquaterra that permits the utility company to transfer water through the district's irrigation pipes to serve the community, Ward said. The district does not pay Aquaterra, but an agreement exits for sale of the water with the homeowners associations in the community and the irrigation company, Ward said.

Jaudon said paying for a pipeline that does not serve the district is unnecessary.

"We receive no revenue from them," he said. "That pipeline feeds three private lakes that sells us water and we get no compensation for that pipeline."

The district paid $3,000 to help repair a broken water line owned by the district. The cost to repair the pipeline, which occurred nearly two months ago, was between $70,000-80,000, Ward said.

Ward said the $3,000 was taken from the district's emergency repair account, which contained roughly $5,600 at that time. The majority of the cost of repair was covered by insurance.