County looks at taking over St. Marks sewer
County looks at feasibility of expanding sewer into eastern Wakulla
County Administrator
David Edwards
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor
With the City of St. Marks facing possible bankruptcy over the costs of maintaining the city’s sewage treatment plant, Wakulla County government is looking at the possibility of expanding sewer service to the eastern part of the county – including St. Marks.
How long in the future that would be, and how much it would cost are yet to be determined.
Many St. Marks residents expressed concern about a 75% increase in sewer and water rates that saw monthly fees jump from around $80 to $140.
St. Marks City Manager confirmed that there have been talks between the city and county, and said the county taking over sewer would be the best thing.
Wakulla County Administrator David Edwards said the county wouldn’t take over the city’s sewer system, but would abandon the plant and put in lift stations to pump the sewage north.
Edwards anticipated the county could buy the N.G. Wade-owned treatment plant at Opportunity Park, just south of Woodville.
The idea is also take in River Plantation’s treatment plant and have a force main move the sewage to Opportunity Park.
The timing on this “depends on the funding,” Edwards said.
The county has applied for state grants and resiliency funding – the latter because the city’s treatment plant is on the St. Marks River and any climate change and sea level rise could potentially inundate the plant.
Edwards said the county had pitched the idea of an eastern sewer system to the state Department of Environmental Protection and they liked it, he said, but there was no immediate promise of funding.
The county applied to the state Department of Economic Opportunity for funding for a feasibility study – estimated to cost $80,000. Edwards brought the issue up to county commissioners at their meeting on Monday, Sept. 18 and said if DEO rejects paying, he may be asking commissioners to pay for the feasibility study.
“It’s a very expensive project,” Edwards said, “but it does get sewage out of the river.”
Wakulla County has successfully brought in literally hundreds of millions of dollars to the county to expand its sewage treatment plant at Otter Creek, improve it to Advanced Wastewater Treatment standards, and expand the system – especially in the Wakulla Gardens/Magnolia Gardens area to go from septic tanks to sewer.
