On Jan. 27, Miami-Dade County broke ground with a new sewage service program that provides thousands of MDC residents with sanitary septic tank systems. The project will take many years and cost an estimated $4 billion. 

As of now, the county states that approximately 120,000 septic tanks are still in use throughout Miami-Dade and that 9,000 of these are vulnerable to malfunction due to the current groundwater conditions. Septic system failure can result in public health risks, environmental damage and negative impacts on private properties, making the project extremely necessary for the health of the Biscayne Bay and property owners. 

The county plans to install lateral sewer lines to connect 340 homes already on failing septic tanks that are releasing human waste into bays and groundwater. 

Switching to sewer systems would require residents to pay an average $7,500 fee; however, the county has the funding to help those residents connect to the new systems through low-interest loans and other methods.  

All residents must connect once lateral sewage lines are brought in, and the county will then provide financial assistance to eligible residents.