WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Winter Springs has begun construction on the first of two new wastewater treatment plants, marking the start of one of the largest infrastructure projects in the city’s history after years of delaying upgrades to its aging sewer system.
City leaders say the project is intended to replace aging facilities that have been plagued by problems, including a 2020 malfunction that sent more than 10,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into nearby waterways and caused a massive fish kill.
“We don’t have to cringe, fearing for this plant or other plants that continue to spill each storm,” Mayor Kevin McCann said during Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony.
The need for new wastewater treatment plants has been known for years.
In 2009, Winter Springs was advised that its aging wastewater treatment plant would need to be replaced within about 10 years. Instead, city leaders postponed the costly project, a decision officials now say only increased the eventual cost.
“Postponing a problem does not make it disappear, and delaying an investment rarely makes it less expensive,” Commissioner Mark Coruso said.
The consequences became apparent in 2020.
As first reported by 9 Investigates, a malfunction at the city’s wastewater treatment plant released more than 10,000 gallons of partially treated sewage into waterways near thousands of homes, resulting in a large fish kill.
With construction now underway, project leaders say the city is turning the page, even though the work is far from over.
“There’s a sense of relief getting to this for sure, but of course we do have a couple years of construction ahead of us, and I think it’s going be really exciting when It’s finally complete,” Erik Anderson of Wharton Smith said.
McCann cautioned that the city’s frustrations will not end overnight.
“The frustration will not be over until that new plant is operational and these old plants are torn down,” McCann said. “We will continue to have problems until these plants are replaced.”
The first wastewater treatment plant is expected to be completed in 2028. McCann said the city plans to break ground on the second treatment plant before construction on the first is finished.
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