The City of High Springs has been awarded three grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, totaling more than $7 million. Two of the awarded grants, totaling $6,736,600 will be used to expand the city’s wastewater treatment facility. Expansion of this facility will provide continued quality service to our citizens and will ensure needed wastewater capacity is available to allow for future, strategic growth in our community.
A third grant awarded to the city, totaling $411,050, will fund removal of septic tanks along County Road 236, converting those residents to the city sewer system. Septic tank removal is vital to the revitalization and protection of our springs. In the summer of 2020, the first phase of septic-to-sewer conversion was completed. 160 septic tanks were pulled from the ground, which reduced an estimated 1,527 pounds of nitrogen from the groundwater. Nitrates in our springs can lead to algal growth and habitat degradation.
The countless hours dedicated to applying for these grants, designing, and formulating plans for safe, responsible enhancements to our infrastructure, further ensures a brighter future for the City of High Springs.