Advanced Wastewater Treatment Pilot Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

In 2018, Leon County launched the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Pilot Program as an initiative to reduce the negative impact of septic systems on water quality in the Upper Wakulla River. The Pilot Program is one of several projects included in Leon County’s Water Quality and Springs Protection Infrastructure Improvement Plan, which is a first-of-its-kind partnership between Leon County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to enhance water quality in our region by upgrading failing conventional on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems to new passive systems providing advanced nitrogen reduction treatment. Accordingly, under the Pilot Program, an estimated 150 failing septic systems in the Wakulla Springs Priority Focus Area will be upgraded to advanced nitrogen reducing systems.Over the last several years, the County has leveraged state and local funds to support septic-to-sewer conversion projects after a 2005 finding identified septic tanks as a significant wastewater source of nitrogen. While the County continues to support septic-to-sewer projects, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Pilot Program is a new initiative to support nitrogen-reducing wastewater management technologies in regions of the community where septic-to-sewer projects are not viable options for property owners. The implementation of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Pilot Program is an innovative and collaborative approach to advancing Leon County’s commitment to protecting the quality and supply of water in our region.