By: Kate Kimmel
The state of Florida has received two awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its role in a major water infrastructure project in American Beach.
The recognition highlights the American Beach Water and Sewer Conversion Project, led by Nassau County. The EPA honored 48 projects nationwide in its 2026 awards program.
Local leadership and community involvement played a central role in the project’s success. The American Beach Water & Sewer District Advisory Board guided the effort through years of planning and public input. Senior management analyst Amy Bell also played a key role, helping manage the project and maintain communication with residents.
For more than 20 years, residents had pushed to connect homes in American Beach to modern water and sewer systems, Bell said. Trust had to be built between the county and the historically Black community. Bell thanked advisory board members for serving as the “front line for their community.”
The advisory board held 43 meetings over more than four years. Its final meeting was Aug. 14. Members were first appointed in March 2021.
The project began with strong community backing. Seventy-nine residents signed letters committing to replace aging septic systems with connections to a new wastewater system. In a straw ballot vote, residents also supported a per-lot fee of up to $9,000 to help fund construction.
The project ultimately created a centralized water and wastewater system. It allows for reliable, affordable drinking water and replaces failing wells and septic systems.
Construction included more than 13,000 linear feet of gravity sewer and 2,300 linear feet of force main. The system serves 350 parcels.
Funding came from multiple sources. The American Beach Water and Sewer District used a $1.32 million State Revolving Fund loan, along with two federal grants, state funding and local contributions. In total, about $12 million was assembled.
State Revolving Fund programs are partnerships between the EPA and states. They provide low-cost financing for water quality and drinking water projects. Nationwide, the programs have delivered more than $265 billion in assistance to over 50,000 water quality projects and 76,000 drinking water projects.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, the project earned national recognition for community engagement. Years of public meetings and the advisory board’s work kept residents involved throughout the process.
In a press release announcing the award, Nassau County officials gave special recognition to Bell. They credited her project management and ongoing communication with residents as critical to the project’s success.
“Through collaboration, careful planning, and creative financing, we were able to deliver modern infrastructure at no cost to residents, while ensuring their voices guided every step of the project,” County Commission Chair Alyson McCullough said.
District Two County Commissioner A.M. “Hupp” Huppmann accepted the awards with the State of Florida at the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities Summit on Water Infrastructure in Washington, D.C., on April 8.
kkimmel@nassaunewsline.net
