Escambia County Agrees To Provide $450,000 For Century Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

July 27, 2021

The Town of Century and Escambia County have entered into an interlocal agreement under which the county will provide $450,000 to improve wastewater infrastructure in Century.

Century will use the funding for improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, including the rebuilding of a clarifier, replacement of pumps and controls, repair of a filter, repair of cracks and more. In addition, nine sewage lift stations will be rehabilitated and the master lift station for the Century Correctional Institution will be repaired and improved.

The necessary upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant, lift stations, and associated infrastructure will allow Century to achieve compliance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulations.

Century will be required to submit invoices and other documentation in order to receive payment from the county on a reimbursement basis.

In February 2020, the Escambia County Commission approved the use of Deepwater Horizon oil spill RESTORE funds for the Century wastewater project. In March 2021, the BOCC moved $450,000 in local option sales money from a West Roberts Road/Eleven Mile Creek Regional Stormwater Ponds Project to the Century project, and moved RESTORE funds from the Century project back to the West Roberts/Eleven Mile Creek project.

Essentially, both projects kept the fully allocated amount, just from different funding sources through the county.

The funding source switch was made due to Century’s need for a match requirement for Florida Department of Environmental Protection Revolving Loan Fund. The RESTORE funding would have been a lengthier process. The funding structure will allow both projects to proceed without schedule delays, according to county documentation.

Pictured: The Century Wastewater Treatment Plant. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

12 Responses to “Escambia County Agrees To Provide $450,000 For Century Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements”

  1. Petra on July 29th, 2021 5:53 pm

    Good luck, I will believe Century can actually get this done when I see it. The good Ole boys will hire their friends to do the work half way done. I suggest Escambia County actually send up an inspector to double check the work.

  2. MR REALITY on July 28th, 2021 10:12 am

    They will have the invoices even if they are hand drawn on a napkin at a private lunch discussing public funds…..

  3. DLo on July 28th, 2021 7:11 am

    You could burn money to stay warm and get a better return on your investment as opposed to giving it to Century to handle appropriately.

  4. oh boy! on July 27th, 2021 7:39 pm

    “Century will be required to submit invoices and other documentation in order to receive payment from the county on a reimbursement basis.”

    This will likely be the most challenging endeavor. Yawl might be in trouble Century.

    Correction, more trouble..

  5. Yup on July 27th, 2021 2:55 pm

    I’d hope that there will be before and after pictures, inspections and certification if needed of work that Century treatment plant is submitting for payment.

  6. Citizen on July 27th, 2021 12:52 pm

    Rasheed

    Also after watching the citizens howl and fume about the recent rate increase from ECUA at Barry’s recent town hall, (did you witness that?) do you really think they want another huge rate increase to cover the cost of a new waste treatment plant?

    So here’s a poll D5 Do you want more money on your ECUA bill?
    Are you able to recognize this is the bast path forward?

    I bet the answer is. NO. and YES

  7. Citizen on July 27th, 2021 12:43 pm

    Rasheed

    If you look back over another article on NE, ECUA wouldn’t take it unless it was brought up to spec. The biggest contributor to the waste stream is the state prison in unincorporated D5.

    As far as I know EPA didn’t fine the town — there is nowhere else to go but to improve the system.

    http://www.northescambia.com/2019/09/meeting-of-the-minds-senator-others-brainstorm-how-to-save-centurys-failing-sewage-plant

    There was a grand jury formed and a report on Century but they returned no true bill, no charges.

    It’s going to get improvements, as well as the drinking water systems.
    The gas system has been made viable.

    Kudos to the changes that have been implemented so far.

    Give credit where credit is due.

  8. David Huie Green on July 27th, 2021 9:08 am

    The benefit of being upstream from much of the county.

  9. Rasheed Jackson on July 27th, 2021 8:13 am

    Rewarding incompetence! ECUA needs to take over the operation of the sewage treatment plant, or we will just see a repeat of the same.
    Considering that failure to maintain this type of a facility could and did create a health risk for the residents living in the surrounding area and anyone who uses the river and waters that the system discharges into, is reason enough to pull it from the town. Allowing this system to get in a condition where it is totally inoperable shows total disregard for the people who live here and secondly the environment in which we live, not to mention it is borderline criminal. For all the reasons I have stated this system should be taken from the towns control.
    The individuals who were given stewardship over this system did not take their responsibilities serious and should be held accountable for their incompetence.

  10. SueB on July 27th, 2021 7:30 am

    $450K is not enough to do all the work – there will be changes in the scope of work. Will BOCC “move” more money to help Century?

  11. SW on July 27th, 2021 6:39 am

    Giving money to Century is not unlike giving a drink to an alcoholic. In other words, enabling.

  12. Citizen on July 27th, 2021 1:47 am

    The accountability is a good thing and since the FL state prison is in unincorporated D5, this makes sense.

    I’m glad we have Mr. Prather and the Town of Century getting this back up to specifications. Win Win

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News