The groundbreaking ceremony took place near the corner of Jericho Road and U.S. Highway 90.
The $40.8 million Okaloosa County facility is a major step forward in expanding wastewater treatment capacity for future needs in the north county. The facility will include all the components of a state-of-the-art, modern plant, other related infrastructure needs, on-site effluent disposal, and future public access reclaimed water for irrigation and industrial use, county officials said in a news release.
“This environmental project will allow for new subdivisions in this portion of the county to be on public sewer, as opposed to septic tanks,” officials said. “The initial phase will have the capacity to process 1.25 million gallons per day of wastewater, with some of the components having a higher capacity, to allow for easier expansion in the future.”
The overall program also includes a site access road, along with extensions of water, sewer, and fiber lines. The new plant has multiple funding sources, including federal and state grants and a state legislative appropriation. It will be built on 20 acres of designated property at Shoal River Ranch.