Burnt Store Marina’s Irrigation Master Plan
Water is one of Burnt Store Marina’s most valuable, shared resources, and protecting it for the future is one of the Section 22 Board’s highest priorities. Over the next several years, residents will begin to see significant improvements to the residential irrigation system designed to increase reliability, improve billing accuracy, conserve water, and preserve this important community asset for decades to come. These improvements represent one of the largest infrastructure investments the Association has undertaken in many years.
Understanding Our Water Supply
Burnt Store Marina (BSM) operates two separate irrigation systems; one serving the residential communities and another serving the golf course. Both systems operate under a water use permit issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
The permit allows a combined annual withdrawal of 423 million gallons of water for both systems. Because this allocation is shared, careful water management is essential throughout the year to ensure Burnt Store Marina remains in compliance while continuing to maintain the beautiful landscaping that defines our community.
Section 22 is responsible for managing both the residential and golf course irrigation systems and monitoring its water use as part of this overall allocation. By using water responsibly and making adjustments, when necessary, we can help maintain our beautiful landscaping while protecting this valuable resource for the entire community.
Building on a Strong Foundation
Since the community acquired the residential irrigation system in 2017, it has been managed by a dedicated team of volunteer residents led by Rocky Mansfield. Through their stewardship, the system has operated efficiently while generating revenue that has made a meaningful contribution to the Association’s reserve funds.
Earlier this year, an independent irrigation consultant completed a comprehensive audit of the system and confirmed that the community’s long-standing meter inventory and management practices provide a solid foundation for future improvements. This independent assessment validated the work already performed by the Irrigation Committee and helped shape the Board’s long-term Irrigation Master Plan. For those interested in the system’s history, Rocky Mansfield shared an overview in the May edition of The Beacon.
Planning for the future has also been reinforced through the Association’s most comprehensive reserve study, completed by Reserve Study Institute (RSI) in 2025. The study evaluated all major Association assets, including both irrigation systems, and emphasized the importance of proactively investing in this critical infrastructure.
Why Modernization Is Needed
Burnt Store Marina’s residential irrigation system serves a 636-acre community with more than 1,900 residential units across 42 sub-associations and 52 independent homeowners plus the marina, Section 22 and the Dog Park. The residential water system includes approximately seven miles of underground piping (main line only), 161 irrigation meters, multiple pumps, control valves, buildings, and a retention pond.
Much of this infrastructure is now 30 to 40 years old. Many components are approaching the end of their expected service life, making continued maintenance, modernization, and strategic replacement increasingly important.
The current process for reading irrigation meters demonstrates why modernization is needed. Each month, our landscape contractor manually locates and reads all 161 meters, records the readings by hand, and submits them to the Irrigation Committee for review before the information is forwarded to Alliant for billing. This labor-intensive process depends on weather, staff availability, and access to meter boxes that are often buried beneath mud, silt, or vegetation. This process has served the community for many years, but it is time-consuming, expensive to operate and leaves room for delays or human error.
Residents have also reported occasional inconsistencies in irrigation billing over the years. Combined with aging or inoperable meters, broken pipes and changes in personnel responsible for collecting and processing meter readings, these challenges have highlighted the need to modernize both the infrastructure and the billing process.
The Irrigation Master Plan
To address these challenges, the Section 22 Board has adopted a long-term Irrigation Master Plan that will be implemented in phases over the next three to five years. This measured approach allows improvements to be completed responsibly while minimizing disruption and managing costs.
One of the first major projects already underway is the construction of a new residential irrigation well. After long delays caused by the original contractor’s failure to perform, the project is back on track and is expected to be completed this year.
The new well will cost approximately $150,000 and, like the recently completed golf course well, will extend approximately 800 feet into the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer. Water from deep in the aquifer is significantly higher in quality than the water currently available through the existing residential irrigation system, providing a more reliable and sustainable water source for the future.
Modern Technology for Better Management
A key component of the Master Plan is replacing all 161 irrigation meters with modern digital meters. These new meters will provide more accurate readings, improve monthly billing accuracy, detect leaks sooner, identify broken meters and irregularities automatically, reduce unnecessary water loss, and eliminate many of the errors associated with manual meter readings.
Under the current manual process, leaks can sometimes go unnoticed for weeks. Digital technology will allow problems to be identified and repaired much more quickly, reducing water loss and operating costs while improving overall system reliability.
The modernization plan also includes the phased replacement of aging pumps, valves, filters, motors, and other critical infrastructure as these components reach the end of their useful lives. Rather than replacing everything at once, improvements will be prioritized over the next several years based on the consultant’s recommendations and the Association’s long-term capital plan.
Fairer and More Accurate Billing
As part of the planning process, the Association has completed a more accurate analysis of the irrigated acreage throughout Burnt Store Marina by accounting for both lot size and the number of residential units served.
This information will allow the Association to establish a more equitable and consistent method of allocating irrigation costs based on actual water usage. The Board is also evaluating a revised billing structure that would include a standard base rate for all customers, with adjustments for over or under usage.
There has not been an increase in irrigation water rates for many years. As modernization moves forward, meter readings will become timelier and billings will more closely reflect actual monthly water consumption for each unit within the Marina. As a result, some residents and sub-associations may see lower irrigation bills, while others may experience higher costs based on the amount of water they actually use. The new systems will ensure that future billings are clear, consistent, and based on accurate meter readings, and confirmed irrigated acreage, so each customer is billed appropriately.
Looking Ahead
Modernizing Burnt Store Marina’s irrigation system is a long-term investment in the future of our community. By upgrading aging infrastructure, improving operational efficiency, and managing our limited water resources responsibly, the Board is working to ensure the residential irrigation system remains reliable, sustainable, and financially responsible for future generations.
We appreciate the continued patience and support of our residents as this multi-year project moves forward. Working together, we can protect one of Burnt Store Marina’s most valuable shared resources while maintaining the beautiful landscape that makes our community such a special place to call home.
