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The EFC provided financial planning assistance to
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality Protection
Program by assisting the program's Steering Committee, Monroe County
and other organizations such as the Florida Keys Wastewater Assistance
Foundation (FKWAF). The EFC completed a sewer connection charge
needs assessment (pdf) in
2008, as well as tools to determine the affordability of wastewater charges.
Connection Costs
The Connection Cost dashboard can be used to determine the number of low-income
residents in each community that will find initial connection costs including
tap fees and lateral installations unaffordable. This data does not include
system development charges. All communities allow residents to amortize
system development (a.k.a. capacity) charges. When these amortized charges
are combined with recurring, monthly user charges, the average monthly bill
can also be unaffordable for many of the Key's residents.
On-going Charges
This tool helps to estimate the number of low-income customers that
will find these charges to be unaffordable in each community.
Needs Assessment: Cost Burden for Low-Income Wastewater Customers in the Florida Keys (pdf)
The Florida Keys is under a mandate to install expensive wastewater collection and treatment. Residents may be
required to share in the cost of meeting this mandate beyond what external funds can pay for.
This report provides an estimate of the population who will have difficulty, based on household income, paying
their share, and provides information to assist FKWAF in planning and implementing its goals of
providing sewer-related financial assistance to the elderly, handicapped and financially disadvantaged who make
up a significant percentage of the Florida Keys population.
Low-income Wastewater Customer Work Session (pdf)
July 24, 2008
Key Colony Beach Inn, FL
The work session provided a forum for local government professionals,
non-profit agencies, private lending institutions and other interested
parties to discuss innovative strategies for addressing the affordability
of wastewater connections and wastewater services for low-income customers
in the Florida Keys.
One strategy suggested during the work session is that
communities manage on-site lateral connections by bundling together
connections and bargaining for reduced costs or by installing laterals
themselves. These strategies would require that the local government
obtain an easement to install laterals on the resident’s property.
This practice has been used in other communities. The following documents
provide example easements that were used in other communities in Florida
under the SRF and the CDBG programs.
Example of CDBG Utility Easement (pdf)
Example of SRF Utility Easement (pdf)
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality Protection Program
Monroe County, FL
Florida Keys Wastewater Assistance Foundation
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