OAKLAND, FL — The Town of Oakland is inviting the community to a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the West Hull Avenue Septic to Sewer Conversion Project at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 16 at Pollard Park, 525 W. Hull Ave., Oakland.The West Hull Avenue neighborhood will benefit from this grant-funded project, which will connect approximately 50 homes now on septic tanks to the Town’s sewer system, saving homeowners’ thousands of dollars and increasing property values, as well as helping to preserve our water supply and protect groundwater that flows to Lake Apopka.

The Town of Oakland, together with its funding partners St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, have worked toward significant progress in providing an alternative wastewater disposal method to the long-standing dependence on septic tank systems.

“Elimination or reduction of septic systems is vital to the health of our environment,” said Oakland Town Manager Steve Koontz. “The Town has worked diligently to leverage funding through partners at the state level and acquire grants and developer fees to ensure we are able to provide a central sewer system to our residents across Town in the future.”

Between 2013 and 2020, approximately $7.5 million was committed in the construction of septic to sewer improvements in Oakland, with the state contributing $2.6 million and the Town and development partners providing more than $4.9 million. Benefits include reducing nutrient load in Lake Apopka and the Johns Lake basins as well as protecting the Gourd Neck Spring Watershed.