Author: Ken Garner

City Manager Randy Jorgenson received a draft of the consent order last week in a letter dated Jan. 13; he had until Friday, Jan. 20, to sign the order.

Jorgenson told the Press Gazette on Friday that the city agreed with the department’s findings, adding that fines are an inevitable consequence of providing sewer services.

“It’s not uncommon at all,” he said. “Over a period of two years, we had eight sewage spills and exceeded nitrogen-level limits nine times. When you have hundreds of miles of pipes with hundreds of fittings and valves, it’s inevitable that you will, at times, have problems. It’s just a matter of doing business.”

The city regularly tests contaminant levels in its treated wastewater, or effluent, and reports to FDEP when a test shows levels higher than established standards. Nitrogen levels exceeded allowable weekly average limits (6 milligrams per liter) four times, monthly average limits (4 mg/L) twice, and maximum limits (8 mg/L) three times between December 2021 and March 2022, according to the consent order. The order also notes that the city has taken corrective action.

Hurricane Sally was responsible for the three most serious sewer system overflows, on Sept. 16-17, 2020; storm surge and heavy rainfall caused water from the Blackwater River to rise into the sewer system, causing an estimated 47,875 gallons of biosolids and 30,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to back up through the system. According to the consent order, none of the waste entered the Blackwater River.

Other system overflows – all attributed to heavy rainfall – include the following:

* Oct. 10, 2020 – About 17,000 gallons of untreated wastewater backed up in two areas, near the intersection of Riverwalk Street and Berryhill Road and at Carpenter Park near the intersection of Milton/Dixon and Broad streets. At least some of the spills did enter into the Blackwater River.

* June 19, 2021 – About 1,000 gallons of untreated wastewater backed up at 5755 E. Milton Road but didn’t impact the river.

* May 26, 2022 – About 10,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled out of the clarifier in the city’s wastewater treatment plant at 6903 Municipal Drive but did not impact the river. About 300 gallons of untreated wastewater backed up through a manhole cover at Willing and Broad streets and into the river.

Jorgenson said that, while the city’s goal is to prevent any violations, last year’s Memorial Day spill into the river wouldn’t significantly impact the environment.

“Engineers will tell you the solution to pollution is dilution,” he said. “It was 300 gallons. I have 36,000 gallons of water in my swimming pool. Millions of gallons of water flow under the Blackwater River Bridge every second. It was minor.”

Jorgenson said he had intended to brief the city council about the consent order at its Jan. 19 council of the whole meeting, but that meeting was cancelled because more than three members of the eight-member council could not attend.  Five members must be present for a quorum; the board cannot act without a quorum.

The city could pay its fine by committing to spend at least $75,000 on an FDEP-approved environmental project. In addition to the fine, the city must have an engineer to determine whether the cause of the ongoing problem can be corrected with repairs or new construction at the plant and, if so, the city must complete an FDEP-approved mitigation project.

Jorgenson suggested it’s unlikely an engineer will make some a recommendation.

“We can’t engineer Mother Nature,” he said. “All of these violations were caused by heavy rains river rise. Our plant is so close to the water, whenever the river rises it backs up into our system. Something has to give.” The city hopes to begin construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in East Milton this spring. It will be built further back from the river and well above the river’s surface.

The eight-member council needs at least five members present for a quorum; without a quorum present, the council cannot take action.

Bethany Anderson, the city’s public information officer, said she didn’t know why councilmembers would be absent, only that more than three had notified the city they couldn’t be present.

Tonight’s meeting was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 6738 Dixon St. The council will hold its executive committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6.

The council has three monthly meetings: the committee of the whole, executive committee and regular business meetings. The committee of the whole lets councilmembers hear presentations from staff and the public, ask questions, and discuss how to proceed with issues facing the city; state Sunshine Law prohibits elected officials from discussing matters on which they might be required to vote except in meetings open to the public.

At the executive committee meeting, councilmembers further discuss items forwarded from the committee of the whole, hear updates from staff and public input, and decide which items should be forwarded to the regular business meeting for final action.

“This is my favorite duty as a member of congress,” Gaetz told 37 nominees from Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties and their families and friends gathered in the NHS cafeteria/auditorium. “I want to thank you all for being here with me tonight with the best of the best Northwest Florida has to offer.”

Navarre and Niceville had five nominees each, followed by Gulf Breeze with four. In the Press Gazette’s coverage area, Milton and Pace had one nominee each, Nathan Johnson and Connor Schuster, respectively.

Navarre Principal Kasie Windfelder said she had been told Navarre hasn’t has as many as five nominees since 2009.

“We are very proud,” she said.

The Press Gazette will have more information about the nominees online and in our Jan. 26 print edition.

The parade and a block party on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the afternoon capped a weekend of events coordinated by the Fellowship Churches of Santa Rosa County, including a prayer breakfast Saturday and a commemoration ceremony Sunday evening.