JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville officials are marking a major milestone in a long-running effort to eliminate failing septic tanks in neighborhoods near waterways.
The city has now completed two major sewer conversion projects in the Biltmore and Beverly Hills neighborhoods, connecting more than 1,000 parcels to city sewer service. The projects are part of a multimillion-dollar initiative the News4JAX I-TEAM has been tracking for more than a decade.
City leaders and utility officials say additional projects are already moving forward. Two neighborhoods are currently in the planning phase, including Riverview, which officials say will be larger than all three previous projects combined.
Riverview resident Marshiray Wellington who is also a member of the Riverview Collective Community Organization says she live on the Trout River and adds the community is eager for the changes.
“I actually grew up here in the Riverview neighborhood,” Wellington said. “Unfortunately, the integrity of the waterway has declined.”
Wellington said pollution in the Trout River has been a long-standing issue, with contaminants entering the water after heavy rains when aging septic systems fail. City officials and JEA estimate more than 2,400 parcel in Riverview will eventually be connected to sewer service, with design work expected to begin as early as this spring.
Residents and business owners are hopeful the project will bring lasting improvements.
“They’re really excited because of the relief they’ll get from those failing septic tanks,” Wellington said. “Businesses are also excited because it will allow them to do more with the parcels they have and hopefully attract more development.”
According to JEA, the septic tank phaseout program is aimed at improving water quality across Jacksonville by reducing bacteria and pollution in impaired waterways.
“There’s a lot of impaired waterways, there’s a lot of bacteria and fecal coliform, so these projects are designed to help our tributaries,” said Greg Corcoran, JEA’s director of community engagement and project outreach in a city video.
Corcoran also told JEA board members this week that the Christobel neighborhood is moving into the construction phase this spring. The project will connect more than 500 additional homes to city sewer service.
“We are rebuilding these neighborhoods from the ground up while people are living there,” Corcoran said. “We’re digging up to 18 feet deep to install large manholes and extend water and sewer lines. There’s a design phase, a construction phase, and then we connect homes to the system.”
The City of Jacksonville is funding the long-term initiative through a combination of local, state and utility-based funds. Mayor Donna Deegan’s office has proposed increasing the city’s annual contribution to the Septic Tank Phaseout Program to $25 million starting next year.