Santa Rosa County approves City of Milton conditional-use permit for new wastewater plant after months of debate

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a conditional‑use permit that clears the way for the City of Milton to design and seek permits for a new wastewater treatment plant and spray fields on an 80‑acre parcel outside Milton.

The permit approval requires the county finding that the project meets county land‑development standards, a conclusion county staff reached after reviewing the city's submittal. Milton representatives said the permit is necessary to apply for construction grants and finalize plant design. "The conditional use permit will allow the city to move forward with finalizing the design of the plant and adjacent spray fields and initializing the permitting process with FDEP," a City of Milton representative said during the hearing.

The vote followed more than two hours of public testimony and technical back‑and‑forth about effluent permits, groundwater risks in the sand‑and‑gravel aquifer, and potential contamination from PFAS chemicals. Rod Mitchell, speaking for nearby residents, told…