- One big project happening in Wakulla County is designed to treat and save the water in this neighborhood.
- The Otter Creek Wastewater plant benefits the environment is expanding.
- Watch the video to see how it works
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"We treat all the sewer that the county takes in coming from Crawforville, Panacea and Sopchoppy all that sewer comes here and it gets treated."
Ned Nobles is Wakulla County Utility Coordinator and says they're in the process of expanding the system.
"This construction will take us from treating $1.2M gallons a day in 1.8 million gallons a day not only increasing the capacity but the level of treatment so will have finer screens and will be able to take more nitrates and phosphorus out of the water."
That's their goal for aquifer. Nobles says this project can improve water quality in the county.
One thing he mentions is the water at Wakulla Springs.
"We talk about how green it's gotten and the nitrate products that are turning it green and we're trying to curb that so whether it's through an advanced treatment septic tank at your house because sewer's not available or treating in bulk here at the wastewater plant, we're able to turn down the screws and treat to a higher level."
This helps take the nitrogen and phosphorus products out of the water to protect the aquifer.
"To try and return the water in the same state we took it from when you have a well that pulls your drinking water, you want to return the same product back to the ground."
The county received a total of $24M in grant funding from several sources.
They received $6.1M and another $6M dollars from DEP then $11.9M dollars from Restore funds.
Wakulla County got the Restore funds from a portion of a settlement from the BP oil spill.
Wakulla County Assistant Administrator, Michelle Metcalf says this project helps the county increase capacity commercially and residential areas in the future.
I've reported about septic to sewer projects happening in the county connecting to this project, like Wakulla Gardens.
https://www.wtxl.com/crawfordville/neighbors-react-to-the-wakulla-gardens-septic-to-sewer-project
Nobles says this project helps them treat the water and get a better quality for the environment.
"Whatever you end up doing with your water whether it's from the City of Tallahassee or how do you dispose of that water, ultimately makes its way back to the reservoir a watershed of some kind which will affect all walks of life whether it's a fish in a pond or the well in your yard."
The project started in June and is expected to be completed at the end of next year.
