Florida’s nutrient pollution crisis, driven in part by more than 2.6 million septic tanks that were never designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, is degrading lakes, rivers, springs, and estuaries through eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. Lake County has adopted Distributed Wastewater Treatment (DWT) as a cost-effective, utility-like alternative to traditional septic systems, with centrally monitored treatment units that remove roughly 88 percent of total nitrogen, over 90 percent of fecal coliforms, and most suspended solids, funded by state grants and a Municipal Service Benefit Unit so homeowners can voluntarily convert with zero upfront cost and pay only ongoing maintenance via property tax assessments.
