DEP PROVIDES $500,000 FOR WASTEWATER PROJECT IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY

Florida DEP Banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 29, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us 

DEP PROVIDES $500,000 FOR WASTEWATER PROJECT IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY

~Funding will help protect Charlotte Harbor, Peace and Myakka rivers~

TALLAHASSEE – Charlotte County secured $500,000 in funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to help pay for the extension of public wastewater lines in the East and West Spring Lakes areas of Port Charlotte.

The funding will help offset the cost of the $17.75-million project, which is designed to protect the impaired waterbodies of Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River and the Myakka River. The reduction in cost will help Charlotte County officials maintain assessments to property owners at the affordable level determined for this project.

“By developing a plan to properly route public wastewater to treatment facilities, Charlotte County and DEP are taking the right steps to protect Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River and the Myakka River,” DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. said. “This is yet another example of DEP’s investment into projects that address the quality and quantity of water in Florida.”

“I am grateful that the legislature was able to provide funding for this sewer project,” Representative Ken Roberson said. “These funds will help reduce the cost to Port Charlotte property owners who qualify for assistance.”

"Protecting the health of Florida's waterways is one of the most important functions of government,” Senator Nancy Detert said. “I am happy to have helped secure much needed funding for the protection of Charlotte Harbor."

“This is a major project to address water-quality issues that are affecting Charlotte Harbor and Peace River as impaired waterbodies from on-site wastewater system discharges,” said Bruce Bullert, the engineering services manager for Charlotte County Utilities. “This is what we consider our pilot project area to try to find an affordable means of providing central sanitary sewer services to a large part of the county that is presently using on-site wastewater systems.”

The project will take place in the northwest part of Charlotte County.