Sewer
VISION: To efficiently and effectively operate the Wastewater Treatment Plant for the benefit of the citizens and in compliance with regulatory and standard practices.
The Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) is an Municipal agency, serving customers within and without its city limits. Prior to construction of the original WWTF and the collection system, individual septic tanks were utilized for sewage treatment and disposal. This posed a potential problem due to the high number of homes situated near local waterways.
The WWTF is owned and operated by the City of Freeport. Past and present representatives of this community have worked together for over 29-years planning and constructing, to create and upgrade facilities, which are critical to protect community health and the environment for current and future generations. This treatment plant has been serving its community since 1989. The first WWTF had the capacity to treat 150,000 gallons of raw sewage per day. The wastewater flows through the sanitary sewer mains by force and by gravity. In addition, there are 68 plus Lift Stations which are used to deliver wastewater to the WWTF for treatment.
After water is used in homes, and businesses, it is delivered as wastewater to the sanitary sewer system. There are miles and miles of sanitary sewer mains located underground throughout the City of Freeport, and nearby areas. The sanitary sewer and stormwater collection systems are separate, and must not be confused. The County and State maintains the stormwater, and it is not sent to the WWTF.
The WWTF is designed to remove debris, grit, nutrients (nitrogen), solids, and waterborne pathogens from wastewater to produce treated reuse-water that is then released into percolation trenches. Our current design capacity can treat 600,000 gallons of wastewater each day, and as the needs of the city increase due to population and business growth, we are continuously on the lookout for new, effective, and cost-efficient ways to meet the demands of the community.
The State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (FLDEP) and the United States Government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are responsible for regulating the various aspects of the operations at the WWTF. They have set limitation requirements which must be met before the WWTF can release the final effluent into the environment.
City of Freeport’s WWT Department is staffed by:
Paul Johnson, Sewer Department Operator & Supervisor
Frank Grant, Crew Leader
Mark McQuaig, Sewer Lead Plant Operator
Jennifer Rogers, Sewer Operations Administration Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions
2024 Sewer Notice