Wakulla County's Septic-to-Sewer Projects: Protecting Our Springs While Keeping a Watchful Eye on the Costs

Wakulla County is taking important steps to safeguard Wakulla Springs, one of Florida's most precious natural resources, along with the surrounding aquifer, rivers, and coastal waters. Many older homes and neighborhoods still rely on septic tanks, which can leak nutrients like nitrogen into the groundwater. Over time, this contributes to algae growth, reduced water clarity, and harm to wildlife and recreation in our springs and waterways.

To address this, the county is actively converting homes from septic systems to a modern central sewer system (septic-to-sewer projects). These upgrades are largely funded by generous state grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), part of statewide efforts under Governor DeSantis to invest billions in water quality restoration and springs protection.

A key funding vehicle is grant agreement LPS0111, which totals around $11.1 million for multiple phases. This covers areas such as:

• Wildwood Phase I

• Eagles Ridge Phase II – Unit 1

• The Park (allocated about $5.5 million)

• Eagles Ridge Phase I – Unit II

These projects aim to connect hundreds of homes (approximately 120 in The Park and 41 in one Eagles Ridge unit) by installing gravity sewer collection lines, lift stations (pumps to move wastewater uphill or to other lines), and connections to the county's existing force main. The work abandons old septic tanks and ties homes into the cleaner, centralized system.

This is worthwhile work. It helps meet state requirements for springs protection, reduces pollution from failing or overloaded septic systems, supports safe growth, and preserves the natural beauty that draws people to Wakulla County.

Dewberry Engineers' Long-Standing Role

Dewberry Engineers Inc. (headquartered in Virginia but with a strong Florida presence, including offices in Blountstown and other Panhandle locations) has been deeply involved in Wakulla's wastewater planning since at least 2020. They prepared major foundational reports, including:

• The 2020 Sewer Infrastructure Facilities Plan, a detailed blueprint for upgrading transmission lines, treatment plants (like Otter Creek WWTP), and discharge methods to handle growing flows while meeting FDEP rules.

• A 2021 Wastewater Feasibility Analysis, focusing on nitrogen reduction in the Wakulla Springs basin, mapping septic systems, and identifying expansion opportunities.

These documents gave Dewberry extensive knowledge of the county's infrastructure, growth patterns, and regulatory needs. As a result, they've secured ongoing contracts through competitive processes (like RFQ 2022-19 under Florida's Consultants' Competitive Negotiations Act). Their services typically include planning, design, permitting, bidding support, and Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI), which means overseeing builders during construction to ensure everything meets plans, permits, and standards.A timely example is on the March 2, 2026, Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) agenda: Approval of Work Authorization No. 26-05 with Dewberry for $645,310 specifically for The Park septic-to-sewer project. This covers design, permitting, engineering, bidding help, and project management/CEI.

How the $645,310 Breaks Down (in Simple Terms)

The contract has three main parts:

• Design and Permitting ($312,810 fixed price): Mapping the land (topographic survey), creating detailed plans (from preliminary to final), sizing pipes and lift station, planning road and drainage fixes after digging, soil testing if needed, helping identify easements (rights to use land for lines), and coordinating permits with agencies like FDEP.

• Bidding and Contractor Selection ($7,500 fixed price): Preparing bid documents and specs, holding pre-bid meetings, answering contractor questions, reviewing bids, and recommending who gets the job.

• Project Management and Construction Oversight (CEI) ($325,000 hourly, not to exceed): The largest chunk (about half). Includes pre-construction meetings, site visits and inspections, bi-weekly contractor check-ins, writing daily/weekly/monthly reports (noting things like rain delays), reviewing materials/tests/final drawings, approving contractor payments, handling change orders, ensuring permit compliance, assisting with FDEP quarterly reports, and wrapping up the project.

For context, professional engineering fees on similar Florida projects often run 10–20% of construction costs, and CEI (oversight) 8–12%. If The Park construction is around $4–5 million (based on grant allocation), $645k lands in the 12–16% range, which is higher but not unheard of for grant-funded, environmentally sensitive work with strict rules.

Fair Questions for Residents to Consider

Dewberry delivers specialized expertise on these technical projects, and their work supports important environmental goals. At the same time, when a single firm earns substantial fees from public and grant money (potentially $1.5–2 million+ across all LPS0111 phases, or 13–18% of the total grant), it's reasonable for taxpayers and residents to stay informed and ask thoughtful questions.

Some points worth watching:

• Heavy reliance on hourly billing for oversight ($325k not-to-exceed in this WA): No public breakdown of hourly rates by staff, estimated hours, or limits on meetings/inspections/reports. "Periodic" visits, "resolving issues," or "unanticipated conditions" can lead to higher bills if not closely monitored.

• Exclusions that often lead to add-ons: Key items like full surveys for easements, actual permitting fees, construction contract documents, and "any services not listed" are excluded. The 2020 plan itself flags needs for easements, geotech testing, and heavy FDEP coordination, things that are predictable but could trigger future amendments (extra Board approvals and costs).

• Separate contracts per neighborhood/phase: Oversight is split (e.g., individual WAs for Wildwood, Eagles Ridge, The Park) rather than one program-wide deal. This can make the full Dewberry spend across grants harder to track without adding them up.

• Amendments are common in these projects: Site surprises (karst soil, weather, contractor delays) happen often. The contract's exclusions, hourly structure, and "additional services" clause provide easy paths for changes, and Dewberry's early knowledge makes them the natural choice for follow-up work.

None of this suggests wrongdoing. It's how many engineering firms structure contracts for complex, phased programs. But when public funds are involved, transparency and strong oversight maximize value and build trust.

Where Things Stand in Early 2026Progress continues across Wakulla:

• Earlier phases in Wakulla Gardens, Magnolia Gardens, Edgewood/Golden Gate, and others are complete or wrapping up.

• Wildwood Phase 1 sewer expansion is gearing up (community meeting held; construction expected to start soon).

• Wakulla Gardens Phases 5–7 and others anticipated in 2025–2026.

• Lake Ellen septic-to-sewer (around 403 homes) and other areas like Panacea lift stations saw approvals/funding discussions in early 2026 BOCC meetings.

• The Park and Eagles Ridge Phase 2 received a big boost: $7.3 million+ in 2025 FDEP Springs Protection Grants (part of a larger $15.7M award), funding connections and nutrient reductions.

The county's Septic-to-Sewer Project Portal has an interactive storyboard/map to check your area's phase/status, plus forms for questions/feedback.

The March 2, 2026, BOCC meeting includes this Dewberry item. Public comment is open. Consider asking:

• Why is half the contract hourly without detailed rates, hour estimates, or caps?

• Could more routine oversight be fixed-price for efficiency?

• What's the total Dewberry spend across all LPS0111 phases, and how is it tracked?

• How are amendments reviewed/approved to prevent overruns?

• Are there comparisons to similar projects in other Florida counties?

Septic-to-sewer conversions are essential for cleaner water, healthier springs, and a sustainable future. Good questions and public engagement help ensure every grant dollar goes as far as possible.

References and Links (as of March 2026):

• Wakulla County Septic-to-Sewer Project Portal (interactive map & status): https://www.mywakulla.com/departments/public_works/s2s.php

• 2020 Wakulla County Sewer Infrastructure Facilities Plan (Dewberry): https://wakullaspringsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Wakulla-County-Facility-Plan_11.2020-plus-attachments.pdf

• 2021 Wastewater Feasibility Analysis (Dewberry): https://wakullaspringsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Wakulla-Co-WW-Feasibility-Analysis.Final-Report.Dec-2021.Dewberry.pdf

• FDEP Springs Restoration Grant Program (search Wakulla awards): https://floridadep.gov/springs

• County BOCC Agendas/Minutes (March 2, 2026 draft: https://conta.cc/3OAbIDq; full site): https://www.mywakulla.com/board_meetings

• Recent Grant Announcement ($15.7M award including The Park/Eagles Ridge): https://www.mywakulla.com/news_detail_T29_R2604.php

• Wakulla Springs Alliance Resources (plans & reports): https://wakullaspringsalliance.org/plans-reports-videos-resources

Residents: Review the documents, check the portal for your neighborhood, attend meetings, and speak up. Your involvement keeps accountability high and helps deliver the best results for our community and environment.

Stay sharp, Wakulla!