Town of Lee Grant Program Success

Challenge

The Town of Lee, located in Madison County, Florida, has weathered more than its fair share of challenges. After being struck by three consecutive hurricanes that devastated the community, the town was forced to confront long-standing infrastructure issues that small rural communities like Lee often face: limited revenue, aging systems, and growing demands for reliable water, sewer, and stormwater services.

The hurricanes exposed vulnerabilities in the storage, pumping capacity, and stormwater management systems, highlighting the urgent need for modernization and resilience. Recovery efforts became an opportunity not only to rebuild what was lost but to reimagine how the community could better withstand future storms.

Solution

To address these challenges, the Town of Lee partnered with SEH to identify funding opportunities and develop a clear, sustainable plan for strengthening and expanding its essential utility systems. This was used to evaluate existing conditions, identify priority projects, and pursue external funding sources to bring those improvements to life. Following the severe devastation caused by Hurricane Idalia, SEH helped acquire recovery-related grants to rebuild and strengthen its infrastructure. The team prepared successful applications for the Hurricane Idalia Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs. These efforts resulted in more than $380,000 in awarded grants, including the Hurricane Idalia RIF Grant of $290,000, enabling Lee to move forward with a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) focused on enhancing critical infrastructure and long-term service reliability.

Through continued partnership, the team helped secure several additional funding sources:

• Normal Cycle RIF Grant ($1.1 million) was used to fund the construction and inspection of waterline upgrades to deliver potable water to the Madison County Industrial Park.
• Resilient Florida Stormwater Vulnerability Assessment ($110,000) was utilized to identify areas most susceptible to flooding and runoff.
• Resilient Florida Stormwater Master Plan ($250,000) was used to provide a long-term plan to protect critical infrastructure and prioritize future stormwater projects.
• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant ($240,000) was used to help fund an assessment of the roadways and pedestrian facilities to improve overall safety.
• Legislative budget request ($375,000) helped rehabilitate a building that was previously a public school to become a business hub

Water System Evaluation and Modeling

With funding secured, the team then conducted a detailed evaluation of the water system and developed a new hydraulic model to guide the improvement strategy. The evaluation began with a water needs analysis to assess historical usage trends, storage and pumping capacities, and projected growth such as supplying water and sewer to the Madison County Industrial Park. Using GIS and onsite fire flow data, SEH created and calibrated a model to analyze pressures, available fire flow, and distribution system performance.

Preparing the System for Tomorrow’s Needs

Extended-period simulations, which analyze a system's behavior over a set duration by running hydraulic and water quality models through multiple steps, provided insight into long-term storage and supply needs, ensuring the town is prepared to meet future water demand and system resiliency goals.

Advancing Community Resilience

These efforts resulted in a prioritized CIP that addresses today’s needs while planning for sustainable growth. The grants secured through this partnership are helping Lee modernize its utility networks, advance stormwater resilience, improve transportation safety, and expand community and economic development assets. The result is a stronger, safer, more reliable foundation for residents and businesses, ensuring the town is ready for whatever comes next.