Lake Placid utility officials press for mandatory sewer hookups to use $40 million plant

Town Administrator Charlotte told the Lake Placid Regional Utility Board at its July meeting that the town must align its utility ordinance, rates and grant strategy to make full use of a newly built advanced wastewater treatment plant and to meet state water-quality mandates.

"The town was previously awarded the $40,000,000 grant, which included 9 utility infrastructure projects," Charlotte said, describing how construction costs for the new plant forced the town to defer six of nine originally planned projects and left the system operating far under capacity.

The board heard that the advanced wastewater treatment plant is designed to treat 1,000,000 gallons per day but is currently serving roughly 300,000 gallons — about 30% of capacity — because many nearby properties remain on septic systems. Charlotte said mandatory connections are a legal and practical tool to increase system flows, qualify for future grants and protect lake and aquifer health.

"Mandatory connections support water quality improvements, public health protection, and a resilient utility that's future ready and grant eligible," Charlotte said, adding that future state and federal funding programs — cited by staff as SRF, CWSRF and Resilient Florida — will expect…