JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first set of Biltmore neighbors are now connected to city sewer and water after construction crews finished the first of three phases.

The septic tank phase-out is a decades-old promise made by the city, and neighbors said they’re happy to see leaders hold up their end of the deal.

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“We prefer city water over well water. So we were very excited to find out we were able to get the city water,” Christian Leao said. She moved to Biltmore in September.

There are 349 total lots in the neighborhood. JEA has executed 289 agreements to remove the septic tanks and connect homes to city sewer and water. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2022.

Two other projects are also in the works. They include Beverly Hills West, which is expected to be completed by November 20, 2023; and Cristobel, which still needs 70% owner approval.

Beverly West currently has 616 executed agreements and Cristobel has only 153.

So far, the three projects combined will hook up 1,058 homes to city sewer and water for a cost of more than $87 million. The cost is split by both the city and JEA.

St. Johns Riverkeeper Executive Director Jimmy Orth said it’s just a portion of what needs to be done. He said there’s likely more than 20,000 failing septic tanks.

“This is a multi-billion dollar problem, so we’re really just scratching the surface in a lot of ways,” Orth said. “We have to be vigilant in the city, and we have to be willing to invest — because this problem’s not going away.”

Orth said nutrients leak out of aging tanks and pollute the St. Johns River, which leads to toxic algae bloom.

“That’s a human health hazard. When you’re out trying to swim and recreate, and you swallow some of that water, it can cause gastrointestinal problems. So it can make you sick,” he explained. It’s also a concern for wildlife that rely on the St. Johns River.

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But time is ticking. As the sea level rises, so does the ground water table. Orth said the distance between the water and septic tank drainage fields then diminish.

“When the drain field from those septic tanks is not far enough away from the ground water, it doesn’t treat the sewage.”

Part of the funding from the city comes from the Local Option gas tax, which is set to double next year. However, Council Member Leanna Cumber filed emergency legislation to repeal it.

In a statement to Action News Jax, a city representative said, “The Local Option gas tax is the only funding source that will ensure we have the nearly one billion dollars necessary for road, drainage and other crucial infrastructure projects.”

We followed up to ask what would happen if the gas tax is repealed, but so far we have not heard back.

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