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PUTNAM COUNTY – The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) recently awarded $947,715
to Welaka to improve its wastewater management system.
The grant, from DEP's Disadvantaged Small Community
Grant Program, is the latest installment in a $4 million
project to upgrade and expand Welaka’s wastewater
facilities.
“The Department is working with local governments in
disadvantaged communities to provide them with
additional financial resources to upgrade wastewater
facilities and protect the state’s surface and
groundwater resources,” said DEP Secretary Colleen M.
Castille. “This grant to Welaka is another resource to
further the Department’s continued commitment to
addressing water quality issues in the lower St. Johns
River, a critical environmental and economic resource.”
The grant is being distributed yearly in $750,000
installments to build new collection systems and provide
reclaimed water to nearby areas, further safeguarding
public health and protecting the quality of the St.
Johns River. The program will span four years and is
currently in its third year.
Established in 2000, the Disadvantaged Small
Community Grant Program provides funds to plan, design
and build wastewater management facilities. The program
provides money for installation or renovation of sewer
systems, wastewater treatment plants, water reuse
facilities, and effluent disposal systems.
Since the program began, the state has committed more
than $45 million for wastewater upgrades in smaller
communities throughout the state. Funding for the grants
comes from fees assessed on DEP State Revolving Fund (SRF)
loans. As the SRF grows, more grant money becomes
available for disadvantaged communities.
To qualify for grant funding, an applicant must be an
incorporated municipality with a maximum population of
7,500 and a per capita income below the state average.
DEP ranks applications based on the public health and
environmental benefits of the proposed project. Grant
recipients provide a partial match to the state funding.
Under the leadership of Governor Jeb Bush and the
Florida Legislature, Florida has invested almost $2.5
billion to improve wastewater treatment, clean up
stormwater pollution and upgrade drinking water
facilities, funding more than 1,200 projects statewide
since 1999.
For more information on the Disadvantaged Small
Community Grant program, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wff/cwsrf/smalcwgp.htm. | 
