Brownsville sewer conversion project could help transform West Cervantes corridor

When William Bowers was preparing to open Easy Going Gallery on North V Street this summer, he had the designs, the atmosphere and the operations plan complete. But what he wasn't expecting was the costly and lengthy delays relating to the building's aging septic tank.

The lack of sewer connection is a common struggle for business owners in Brownsville, he would soon find out, and one advocates for the neighborhood's revitalization efforts often reference as a hindrance to long sought-after development along the West Cervantes corridor.

But it's also an issue that's finally on its way to changing. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection in November awarded the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority an $11 million grant to switch from septic tanks to a central sewer system in some areas of Brownsville and Warrington.

$11 million: ECUA awarded $11 million for septic to sewer projects in Brownsville and Warrington

'Road diet': West Cervantes construction to end in spring, advocates push for permanent 'road diet'

Officials expect that it will take until mid-2025 to fully complete the work.

"Businesses are hesitant to come in here because there isn't any sewer system," said Brownsville Assembly of God Pastor Evon Horton, who has long been a community advocate in the area.

Horton said over the last decade, he's seen businesses move out or heard of their struggles to maintain individual septic tanks, so bringing the neighborhood up to par with the rest of the area's commercial businesses would be a boost to development efforts.

For Bowers, dealing with a septic tank on the property cost an additional $5,500, compared to the $17,000 he was quoted to hook up to nearby city sewer lines that aren't available all the way to his street.

Officials told him the 900-gallon septic tank already on site wouldn't be adequate because his coffee bar required a food safety permit that necessitated a 1,000-gallon tank.

"It's a pretty incredible story that we needed only 100 gallons more and it was over a three-month process to finally get the permit and I'm only serving coffee, no food," he said.

While he's invested in the neighborhood and was drawn to the historic property, Bowers said those kinds of hurdles could be a deterrent to others considering launching a business in Brownsville.

The septic-to-sewer conversion projects in Brownsville were part of a 92-grant announcement to improve water quality across the state. The projects — which also include two in Warrington — will bring new sewer connections to 1,250 properties that operate on septic systems that can leach harmful bacteria into local watersheds, according to ECUA.

ECUA Executive Director Bruce Woody said the design portion of the work will likely take between nine and 12 months, followed by a 12- to 18-month construction timeline with a goal of completion in the fiscal year 2024-2025. ECUA raised sewer rates by 2.5% earlier this year to provide matching local funds for the grant.

While expected to be a boon for existing and future business on the west side, there's also the reality that much of the residential population is low-income so questions remain about how they will benefit or gain access to the new system.

Advocates like Mike Kilmer from the West Cervantes Coalition questioned if residents and businesses would be connected to the new sewer system free of charge under the grant, and if they would be forced to use sewer once it's available. He said it's as much about business as it is about residents and making Brownsville a thriving community that attracts people.

Horton said his church recently held a toy drive event to hand out Christmas gifts to neighborhood families who were exceedingly grateful they could provide for their children during the holidays, an indicator of the level of wealth in the area.

"These are people whose lives were improved with a toy to give their kids on Christmas," he said. "They don't have $20 to spare, let alone $1,000 to hook up to a sewer system."

According to ECUA, Florida statutes require property owners to connect to a sewer system within 12 months of getting notification it's available, but ECUA officials said they plan to waive some of the fees associated with connecting.

The issue of whether residents and businesses need to pay to connect to the lines once they're available remains unanswered, but Woody said there will likely be clarity on the issue soon.

"Really we're not in a position I think at this point just yet to answer, (but) over the next 60 to 90 days, we'll be exchanging grant agreements back and forth and those will have to be approved at both the state level as well as here at the local level," Woody said. "Those are a few clarifying points we still need to resolve in those agreements ourselves."

An ECUA map of the project areas shows the focus of three separate projects in Brownsville will cover an area to the north of West Cervantes Street generally from North Pace Boulevard west to Kirk Street, including the construction of a lift station near North Green Street and Dominguez Street.

Woody said there are many more neighborhoods in the county operating on septic tank systems, generally around Cantonment and farther north, but the Brownsville and Warrington focus came from the potential for any environmental hazards to leach into the downstream Bayou Chico.

Emma Kennedy can be reached at ekennedy@pnj.com or 850-480-6979.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Brownsville sewer conversion project could draw business to Cervantes