Milton has achieved what City Manager Ed Spears calls “light speed” in the world of municipal infrastructure—securing Florida Department of Environmental Protection permits for a new wastewater treatment plant in just 13 months.
- “In December 2024, new council was seated here in Milton and they immediately went to work on revamping our wastewater treatment plant project,” Spears told (We Don’t) Color on the Dog. “In about 13 months, we’ve been notified this past Friday that we have the permits from FDEP to go to this new location for both the plant and for the spray fields.”
Why this matters: The new facility addresses what Spears identifies as the region’s most pressing environmental threat: failing septic tanks.
- “The number one threat to our waterways in this area are septic tanks,” Spears explained. “Once they fail, that’s untreated raw sewage going directly into our groundwater and our aquifers.”
The impact is already visible. East Bay and Blackwater Bay oyster habitats have been shut down from farming due to high fecal coliform and bacteria levels linked to agricultural runoff and failing septic systems.
Four Million Gallons Per Day
The new plant will handle 4 million gallons daily, with half a million gallons reserved for growth within city limits and the remainder available for expanding service areas.
Milton has already issued an RFP for clearing and grubbing 350 acres for spray fields, with work expected to take a year running nearly around the clock.
Spears emphasized the city’s commitment to securing state and federal funding rather than burdening current ratepayers who have already paid for their infrastructure.
- “We’re getting creative, we’re getting aggressive,” he said. “Now that we have these permits, we’re able to move forward on a much faster timeline because we’re shovel ready.”
The city is working with engineering firm Baskerville Donovan on the project, which Spears credits with helping achieve the remarkably fast permitting timeline.
