DEP Grant Helps Marianna construct new wastewater facilty

Facility will increase protection of Chipola River and Jackson Blue Springs

MARIANNA – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined City of Marianna officials today for an open house of the city’s new wastewater treatment plant.

In November of 2005, DEP awarded a $24.1 million grant to the City of Marianna to expand the capacity of their wastewater treatment facility and construct reclaimed water land application facilities.  The grant, from DEP's Disadvantaged Small Community Grant Program, funded the construction of an influent pump station, additional biological treatment units, disinfection and residuals handling systems, an effluent pump station, a reclaimed water transmission main and spray field facilities ten miles away from the wastewater treatment facility. Additional funding was also provided by the City of Marianna and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program.

“The project eliminates the City’s effluent discharge to one of the state’s premier waterbodies, the Chipola River,” said DEP Northwest District Director Dick Fancher.  “In addition, the new spray field location avoids impacting the Jackson Blue Springs catchment area.”

Established in 2000, the Disadvantaged Small Community Grant Program provides funds to plan, design, and build wastewater management facilities. Funds can be used for installation or renovation of sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants, water reuse facilities, and effluent disposal systems.  Funding for the grants comes from fees assessed on DEP’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans and additional state appropriations.
 
“The Department is working with local governments in disadvantaged communities to provide them with additional financial resources to upgrade wastewater facilities and protect the state’s surface and groundwater resources,” said DEP Division of Water Resource Management Director Janet Llewellyn.

To qualify for grant funding, an applicant must be an incorporated municipality with a maximum population of 7,500 and a per capita income below the state average. DEP ranks applications based on the public health and environmental benefits of the proposed project. In order to receive funding, grant recipients provide a partial match to the state funding.

Since the program began, the state has committed more than $175 million, including more than $30 million in 2007, for wastewater upgrades in smaller communities throughout the state.  Since 1999, Florida has invested more than $3.5 billion to upgrade and improve water and wastewater facilities and clean up storm water pollution, funding about 2,100 projects statewide. 

For more information on the Disadvantaged Small Community Grant program, visit [ http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/cwsrf/smalcwgp.htm ]www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/cwsrf/smalcwgp.htm.