WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — If you live in Winter Springs, get ready to pay more for your water bill.

The city is in talks to building two new water treatment plants, but the city is still in the planning stages, so the cost for the new facilities is unclear.

Both water treatment plants are over 50 years old.

No one can confirm at this time exactly how much that increase will be, but the cost will be passed on to residents.

The City of Winter Springs told Spectrum News on Tuesday that it conducted a very preliminary estimate of the design, construction and ongoing operations of the two new wastewater treatment plants.

The city commission recently awarded the engineering design contract, and city staff are currently negotiating fees before signing the contract with the selected bidder.  

The city will only have a definitive estimate of the actual rate increase once the design is far enough along, and the project is awarded to the contractor.

Commissioner Cade Resnick said Tuesday that the city has talked about four proposals as to where that hike will come from.

“The hike will be made from storm water, wastewater, drinking water and garbage removal, or a combination of them,” said Resnick.

Former mayor Charles Lacey, who lives in Winter Springs and served as mayor for 10 years, said the water treatment plants should have been started years ago.

“A new administration came in in 2018, those plans apparently from what I’m learning now, were just put on the shelf," said Lacey.

In 2018, experts projected a price tag at $35 million.

Commissioner Resnick said the city may have to pay much more in 2023.

“The price tag to build both plants may be as high as $100 million,” said Resnick.

Winter Springs resident Jesse Phillips is very concerned about the rate hike.

“They should have taken care of the problem back in 2018 and 2019, when they had a study outlying a plan for this to be fixed for $30 to $35 million,” said Phillips.

Phillips lives with his wife and four children in Tuscawilla.

No one is sure what the actual cost to residents will be.

“It could be 11 percent, or it could be more. We just don’t know at this time,” said Resnick.

Commissioner Resnick said everyone will be meeting with the city manager next week, to discuss the matter.