Last week, the U.S.Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the city of Milton was awarded a $5.9 million-dollar competitive grant by the Federal Economic Development Administration to be used for the construction of the new North Santa Rosa Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The funds are part of the American Rescue Plan’s Economic Adjustment Assistance Program.
“President Biden is committed to providing communities with the resources they need to recover from the pandemic and build a better America in the process,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The North Santa Rosa Regional Water Reclamation Facility, made possible through this EDA grant, will provide the wastewater treatment capacity necessary to support business development and job creation in the region.”
In a news release, city officials said: “The new, state-of-the-art, advanced wastewater treatment facility will be located on city-owned property in the Santa Rosa Industrial Park. The initial construction will see a 2 million gallon per day (MGD) treatment facility, disposal area and associated infrastructure. The plant can be expanded as future demand dictates up to 8 MGD. This project will remove 100% of the City’s treated effluent from the Blackwater River by 2025, which will enhance the river’s vitality and protect flora and fauna that call the river home. Additionally, the new plant will add capacity for the expanding regional, national and international companies that are quickly filling the area’s industrial parks.”