Demolition, site work and addition to a water / sewer project in Newberry, Florida. Completed plans call for the addition of a water / sewer project; for the demolition of a water / sewer project; and for site work for a water / sewer project.

**As of December 8, 2023, this project has not yet been awarded . A timeline for award has not yet been established. Florida Law and growth management best practices require the City of Newberry to monitor the capacity of its wastewater system to ensure the capacity is not exceeded as a result of growth and new development. Newberry's wastewater treatment facility has a capacity of .560 million gallons per day (mgd). Staff's evaluation of growth rates indicates that the City will need to bring additional wastewater treatment plant capacity online between years 2025 and 2030. Newberry's wastewater treatment facility is authorized to operate and discharge its effluent into the environment via its Florida Wastewater Operating permit. Newberry renewed its operating permit in 2021. A condition of the 2021 wastewater permit requires higher treatment levels for nutrients and biosolids than the existing facility can accomplish. Imposed regulation and permit changes coupled with the age of the existing facility and growth within the region necessitates the upgrade of Newberry's treatment facilities to meet the short and long-term needs. The City Commission recognized the need for additional treatment capacity and for higher levels of treatment and directed staff to initiate planning for upgrading and expanding its wastewater treatment facilities. Generally, the three (3) steps to expand the facility and comply with the condition imposed by 2021's permitting, and regulation are: 1) Planning 2) Design 3) Construction The City of Newberry initiated the planning phase in 2021 by contracting with Woodard & Curran, Inc., to prepare its planning documents, commonly referred to as the Wastewater Facilities Plan (by State Government) and the Preliminary Engineering Report (by Federal Government). The Wastewater Facilities Plan evaluates treatment and capacity needs and considers treatment alternatives and funding requirements to meet those needs. It concludes with recommendations to the City regarding how best to proceed to cost-effectively achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. An overview of the findings and recommendations of our proposed Wastewater Treatment Facilities Plan follows: The Study recommends a new advanced wastewater treatment facility to be constructed on the same site as the existing wastewater treatment facility and adjacent additional acreage being purchased. The new facility will more than double the City's treatment capacity and set the foundation for smart and sustainable growth in the region. The recommended wastewater treatment facility package of technology includes headworks, grit removal, equalization, biological treatment, secondary clarifiers, tertiary treatment, disinfection, effluent pumping, effluent storage improvements, effluent disposal, residual management, aerobic digestion, dewatering and an operations building with considerations for future additions such as beneficial residual reuse, septage receiving and sludge thickening. These combined technologies will produce advanced treatment and high-quality effluent capable of meeting the most stringent environmental standards. The cost of the project is estimated at $40 million and will be funded through a variety of State and Federal grants and low interest loans.