FGUA advances $80M resiliency vision for MacDill AFB wastewater plant with $19.1M state grant

FGUA advances $80M resiliency vision for MacDill AFB wastewater plant with $19.1M state grantThe Florida Governmental Utility Authority has authorized a State Revolving Fund loan application to finance critical hurricane resiliency upgrades at the MacDill Air Force Base utility system, backed by 100% principal forgiveness.

The FGUA board authorized staff to submit a loan application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by a March 12, 2026, deadline.

The project is eligible for up to $19,166,503 in Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes Helene and Milton (SAHM) funding.

An FGUA staff member noted that fully protecting the facility from future hurricanes could ultimately drive total project costs to approximately $80 million.

The utility is also utilizing SAHM funding for a $5.58 million septic-to-sewer conversion project in Pasco County.

The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) Board of Directors has authorized the submission of a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan application to support major resiliency improvements at the MacDill Air Force Base wastewater treatment plant. During a February 19 meeting, the board approved a measure allowing the board chair to sign the application and associated resolution documents ahead of a strict March 12, 2026, deadline set by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The project is eligible for up to $19,166,503 in funding through the FDEP's Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes Helene and Milton (SAHM). Because the SAHM funding is provided as a loan with 100% principal forgiveness, it effectively acts as a grant to partially finance the total cost of the upgrades. An FGUA staff member noted during the meeting that the $19.1 million appropriation provides a "good start with resiliency and effluent disposal" at the military installation, but indicated the utility has a much larger long-term vision for the site. "If we really want to make the whole facility pretty much bulletproof in the future from hurricanes, we're probably going to end up around $80 million," the staff member told the board. The FGUA is aggressively pursuing SAHM funding across its portfolio to harden infrastructure and mitigate environmental risks following recent severe weather events. Formed in 1999 through an interlocal agreement, the special-purpose government operates 84 systems serving roughly 120,000 connections across Florida and has managed more than $220 million in capital improvement projects over its 25-year history. During the same meeting, the board adopted the SRF Facilities Plan for the Riverside Village Septic to Sewer Conversion Project in Pasco County. The $5.58 million Riverside Village project will eliminate 54 existing on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems—which have experienced failures and backups during heavy rains—and connect the properties to a new gravity sewer system flowing to the Seven Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. An FGUA staff member noted that the utility recently secured approximately $1 million in legislative SAHM funding for the Riverside project, which will allow residents to transition off septic tanks without bearing direct costs.