Council President proposes $100 million be dedicated to remove septic tanks – Action News Jax

By On Mar 20, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council President Tommy Hazouri announced Tuesday night during city council that he had tabled laws that would borrow $ 100 million for septic tank removal.

This money would be used for the five year capital improvement project “The Water / Wastewater System Fund”. The project is currently funded $ 15 million in this current budget cycle and the next two budget cycles.

This money would be used outside of the three current projects JEA is working on in the Biltmore, Beverly Hills and Christobel neighborhoods.

“We haven’t done enough. The time to act is today, not yesterday. And it’s going to be a couple of years to finish them all because it’s a billion dollar project and we have sixty thousand run-down septic tanks in Jacksonville, ”Hazouri told WOKV.

In a 2018 report by the City of Jacksonville, there are an estimated 55,000 septic tanks in Duval County. The council chairman said the public works department has a list of 35 areas in Duval County that the program will target.

The districts on this list are:

Northlake
The cloak
River view
Kinard
Odessa
Cedar River
lakeside
Ortega
Westfield
Champion Forest
Eggleston Heights
Mill Creek
Empire Point
Oakhaven
Spring Glen
Emerson
Inwood Terrace / Freeman Road
Point to La Vista
Oak lawn
Beauclerc Gardens
Southside Estates
Holly Oaks
Lone Star Park
Sans Peril
Mt. Pleasant
Pablo Point
Atlantic highlands
Julington Hills
Canopy landing II
Julington Creek

Priority areas for exiting septic tanks Priority areas for exiting septic tanks in Duval County. (Work plan for water supply systems 2018-2028)

“The health, safety, and well-being of the average citizen, who are at risk from having poor septic tanks and decrepit septic tanks, affect our health, safety, and well-being. It affects our environment. It certainly seeps into the rivers, rivers and streams. So it’s our job to take action and not talk about the conversation, ”said Hazouri.

Legislation changes the budget and CIP, and similar to Lot J’s bill, 13 councilors must vote for the bill to pass.

The JEA project was partnered with the City of Jacksonville to clear the septic tanks in three of the northwestern neighborhoods of Jacksonville. The Biltmore C Septic Tank Phaseout Project is currently on schedule. The Beverly Hills Septic Tank Phaseout project is currently only 60 percent of its design complete. Construction in Beverly Hills West is slated to begin in March 2021. The project proposed by Christobel to exit septic tanks has not yet started due to lack of funds.

Jay Stowe, CEO of JEA, said in a board meeting on Jan. 28 that there is not enough money to continue funding the program.

“Unfortunately, the money the city and JEA spent on the project is not enough to finance all of these areas. I asked JEA staff to work with the city staff to rethink the septic tank phasing out plan and establish a viable plan for further development, ”said Stowe.