FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2016
MORE THAN $3 MILLION AWARDED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO DRINKING WATER
TREATMENT PLANTS
~State funding assists Northwest Florida communities to ensure safe and reliable
drinking water~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded more than $3 million to two Northwest Florida communities for drinking water treatment plant improvements to help ensure high-quality drinking water.
This funding was provided to the city of Marianna and Moore Creek-Mt. Carmel
Utilities in Santa Rosa County through the department's Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program.
"Partnerships with our local communities are invaluable to
finding environmental solutions," said Shawn Hamilton, DEP Northwest District director.
"DEP is proud of the partnership with these communities which enabled us
to take a proactive approach and identify funding assistance to address potential water issues within these communities in a
timely and sufficient manner."
Marianna: Awarded $2.9 million to fund the dual transmission main extension project to remove the contaminant risk of dieldrin and ethylene dibromide in the Sunland Water System, as well as for granular activated carbon (GAC) filters for dieldrin removal in supply wells as a short-term solution until the extension project is completed. The replacement of GAC filters for one supply well is complete. Construction of the Marianna main extension project is anticipated to begin in March 2016 with completion anticipated in November 2016.
"We are very grateful to the DEP's DWSRF for providing much needed funding to improve the drinking water in our area," said Jim Dean, city manager of Marianna. "This funding is an important resource to assure safe and high-quality water for our residents."
Moore Creek-Mt. Carmel Utilities, Inc. (Santa Rosa County): Awarded $106,692 in grant funding for a filtration system to remove dieldrin and other contaminants from two water supply wells.
Dieldrin is a synthetic chemical that was widely used to kill insect in the 1960s and 70s. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) banned all uses of dieldrin in 1987. Low levels of dieldrin may still be present in
the environment from these past uses because it breaks down very slowly in soil
or water. Drinking water with levels
slightly above the drinking water guideline for a short time does not significantly increase
the risk of illness.
The DWSRF Program
provides low-interest loans to eligible entities for planning, designing and
constructing public water facilities. DWSRF has awarded more than $273
million in funding for 62 drinking water improvement projects during the
past five years for a total of $925 million in loan funds since its inception
in 1998. For more information,
visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/dwsrf/index.htm.
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