The Leon County Commission voted to approve the bid for the construction of the Northeast Lake Munson Septic-to-Sewer Conversions Project, in a meeting on December 13th. The bid was awarded to the Hale Contracting Inc. in the amount of $13,651,976. The project is located in Yons Lakeside Estates and Idlewild neighborhoods (the southwest quadrant of Leon County).
Leon County has invested millions of dollars in the Primary Spring Protection septic to sewer program. The total cost to provide sewer to nearly 1500 homes currently served by septic tanks is estimated to be $63 million. Of this funding, $14.94 million is allocated for the Northeast Lake Munson Sewer Project. Millions of additional dollars from state grants and county matching funds were dedicated to upgrade existing on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems to reduce nitrogen levels in the Primary Spring Protection zone.
The Lake Munson Septic-to-Sewer Conversions Project is designed to ensure that the County’s strategic priority is implemented to protect the quality and supply of our water. Lake Munson was identified by staff as a problematic area for water quality in the 2022 Annual Water Quality Monitoring Report which was also approved by the Commission at the December 13th meeting.
The scope of work for this project will include the construction of two pump stations, grinder pumps, installation of new gravity sewer system and associated service lines along the centerline of the existing street.
There are 253 properties including 220 already developed within the project limits. Outreach to encourage property owners to sign up for the new sewer system continues. As of now, 139 property owners have signed up to be connected to the new sewer system.
As an incentive to have property owners connect to the sewer system, all costs related to connections and septic tank abandonment are paid for as part of the construction project estimated at a $10,000 savings per property. Any property owner who waits until the completion of the project to sign up will be responsible for all connection costs.
The Northeast Lake Munson Septic-to-Sewer Conversions Project is expected to start within a month from approval and is scheduled to take 18 months from start to finish.
Leon County Approves $13 Million Bid for Lake Munson Septic-to-Sewer Conversions Project added by Tristyn Leigh on
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Actually, my complaint is the lack of communication from this project. It’s really needed, plus, it will raise property values. The County hasn’t educated a lot of us to the benefits, and the things taken so long we’ve had to submit paperwork twice. It’s like pulling teeth to learn why we’re still waiting.
@David, I can read the irritation in your voice, but we all know that the reason is simply that the government owns the road and some right-of-way. They can’t be tearing up blocks of front yards to repair a failed system without facing the wrath of the property owners.
I’m hoping that some process in place to make sure that the sewers are deep enough. I know at least 1 neighborhood that did this conversion (several decades ago) but didn’t bury the sewer line deep enough for gravity to do all of work from the dwellings along-side, leaving the property owners to eat the cost of installation and maintenance to install sump tanks and pumps.
Was a vacuum sewer system considered? Then we could put the lines in the right of way and not have any grinder pumps or large gravity lines..
“…..installation of new gravity sewer system and associated service lines along the centerline of the existing street.” = WHY do you always have to put these lines in the middle of the Streets, why not beside the Streets?
Two things here that will generate all kinds of heated talk: First, I would be willing to bet that a lot of these new sewer customers have no clue that they will now get a water bill and a sewer bill. Now we will have the ‘poverty’ crowd screaming ‘water and sewer poverty’. Second, from the article: “As an incentive to have property owners connect to the sewer system, all costs related to connections and septic tank abandonment are paid for as part of the construction project estimated at a $10,000 savings per property. Any property owner who waits until the completion of the project to sign up will be responsible for all connection costs.”. You can count on a whole lot of folks swearing they did not know this. Can’t wait for the ‘nonsense’ to start…and it will.