NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 2, 2022
Contact:
Kinsey Miller
Public Information Office
(850) 926-0919 Ext. 712
Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners Approve a 45-Day Moratorium for New Sewer Connections Served by Hickory Park and Wakulla Gardens Master Lift Stations
CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla – On August 1, 2022, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners authorized an Emergency Ordinance establishing a 45-day moratorium on new sewer connections for homes that are served by Hickory Park and Wakulla Gardens Master Lift Stations located in the Crawfordville service area. Building permits will continue to be approved in this area with sewer connection and Certificates of Occupancy contingent upon the restoration of sufficient capacity in the collection system. Thanks to proactive planning, the County anticipated having issues with the collection system as it nears capacity and acted ahead of any environmental issues.
The County Administrator may authorize an applicant to reserve capacity in the sewer system or connect thereto if that applicant enters into a developer agreement to ensure that connections can be accommodated in a manner that will allow the sewer system to function in accordance with all regulatory and permit requirements.
Following a recently conducted analysis of the County’s sewer system, officials determined that several critical components of the system are at, or near, capacity in areas served by the Hickory Park and Wakulla Gardens Master Lift Stations. After the implementation of corrective measures, pump times and flow rates of lift stations will be monitored for 30 days to determine if the system has stabilized and can handle an increase in capacity. Officials will review the data recorded to determine if the moratorium can be lifted. The County has identified potential remedies which should enable the collection system to handle new homes and businesses in the Crawfordville area connecting to the sewer system until the planned infrastructure force main projects have been completed. Current users are expected to receive no interruptions of service. These projects have been planned for years and are anticipated to take one year to complete.
“We took quick action to maintain the environmentally responsible and efficient operation of the public wastewater treatment system, without causing a negative impact to local jobs and economic development,” said County Commissioner Ralph Thomas following last night’s meeting.
For more information about this story, please contact County Administrator David Edwards at 850-926-0919 extension 702.