Citrus County commissioners, contractors and community leaders from Sugarmill Woods gathered on March 14 to commemorate the overhaul and expansion project for the county's Water Plant No. 2 off Corkwood Boulevard in Sugarmill Woods.

District 2 County Commissioner John "JJ" Kenney cut the ribbon for the $1.3 million project, which triples the plant's storage capacity to 1.5 million gallons, adds an emergency generator to ensure operation in emergencies, ensures better water pressure, adds reserves in case of fires during high water use times, and lowers electric and operational costs by about $100,000 a year due to efficiencies installed in the overhaul of the wells and equipment.

In the photo at right, Kenney cuts the ribbon. To his right are Citrus County Water Resources Director Robert Knight and on the far right is Administration Executive Deborah Bloss.

To Kenny's left are two of the project's five contractors: (behind) Gerard Gaudette, president of Gaudette Electric; and (next to the left) Ray Townsend, owner of Citrus Well Drilling. Next left is County Commissioner Rebecca Bays, then County Commissioner Joe Meek, and (far left) Catherine Ouellette, executive secretary for Water Resources.

Pleased Sugarmill Woods community leaders (not pictured) turned out for the commemoration, including Duane Dueker, president of Sugarmill Woods Civic Association; Warren Blodgett, president, Cypress Village Property Owners Association; and Ted Sope, president of Oak Village Association.