The City of Niceville took another short step toward creating a purple pipe pathway to bring reclaimed water to Deer Moss Creek and other points on the eastern part of the city when, at their April city council meeting, they signed an agreement for Okaloosa County to provide the muscle for installing the system.
The agreement, which the council unanimously approved, will take effect once the city receives the final go-ahead and permits to dig the line on Eglin Air Force Base property.
RELATED: Niceville Manager Lays Out Plan To Increase Reclaimed Water Use, Lower Homeowner Costs.
The city does not have a final date for completion – city leaders say they will have an easement document from the Air Force in one weeks’ time. Once the city provides a signature on the easement conditions on Air Force property, the Air Force put the paperwork through more bureaucracy – and then blam-o – the Air Force will spit out a final easement agreement in about two months’ time. From there, the Air Force will wait another four weeks before giving the final OK to Niceville’s leadership to install the reclaimed water pipes on reservation land.
According to the City of Boca Raton, Florida – reclaimed water cost their customers one half of the cost of potable, or drinkable, water.
“We are within arm’s reach,” said City Manager David Deitch. Deitch noted that the Air Force had also begun its dig permit process – which means they should get both the easement and the permit at similar times over the next two to three months.
The City Manager noted that city employees have already begun to collect a material list for the project, so they can bid that portion of the contract out and hopefully expedite the process.
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