With the help of more than $4 million in grant funding, more residents will soon be able to switch from septic to sewer systems.
Panama City commissioners on Tuesday voted to award Royal American Construction Co. with a more than $4.088 million contract for Pretty Bayou Improvements Phase 1, a project to construct infrastructure needed to allow select residents living in unincorporated Bay County to transition from a septic system to the city’s to sewer system.
“It’s new waterlines, roads (and) sewer lines being ran for the first time in a significant area of Kings Point,” Commissioner Josh Street said. “It’s a voluntary program that people can connect to if they want to, and through that connection, they’ll come into the city and they’ll have access to water and sewer.”
Street said the development stems from a partnership between Panama City and Bay County to get sewer systems to such areas. The state also has been providing money for septic to sewer projects.
The entire project will be funded with a grant through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
“As someone who’s been on septic in my lifetime … once you get a lot of heavy rainfall, septic systems don’t typically work very well,” Street said. “Being able to connect to municipal services, having city water (and) having city sewer (all are) great ways to ensure that you have access to the best services that you can have at your home.
Construction should break ground in about 30 to 60 days and take about 200 days to complete. The contract includes a 5% contingency, allowing for up to $4.292 million to be spent in Phase 1.
Street said officials also plan for there to be additional phases.
“We still do have some more grant funding that’s available, and so I would encourage any (other residents) over in the Kings Point area that would like (to make the switch) to show up to one of the public workshops that we’ll be hosting in the coming months, and to express their interest in getting access to sewer and water.”
Source : Newsherald
