Clermont project holds hope for solving water woes

After delays, drilling of a deep water well into the Lower Floridan aquifer in search of an alternative water source should be completed by May or June.

In September 2016, drilling was stopped when the drilling company, A.C. Schultes, hit compacted soil that would not allow equipment to go any deeper. Since November, crews have been working at the Sunburst Water Treatment Plant facility on Hancock Road with a larger drill and today are 600-feet deep with a hole that measures 38-inches in diameter.

The $5.94 million project is being led by the city of Clermont with partial funding from the St. John's Water Management District. The hope is that it will provide an alternative to the Upper Floridan aquifer, a source of water that experts say is running out.