Skip to Primary Content
Please note that miamidade.gov no longer supports Internet Explorer. We recommend upgrading to the latest Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Firefox.
GovMeetings
Calendar
Contact
Translate arrow_drop_down
  • English
  • Español
  • Kreyòl Ayisyen
Menu
Miami-Dade County Homepage
Login
  • User Icon Mobile
    • Dashboard
    • Update Profile
    • Sign Out
  • |
  • Sign Out
Search
Miami-Dade County Homepage
    • Interest Categories

      • Animals & Pets
      • Building & Development
      • Business & Industry
      • Courts & Records
      • Elections & Voting
      • Environment & Resilience
      • Home & Property
      • Housing & Social Services
      • Jobs & Employment
      • Public Safety
      • Recreation & Culture
      • Travel & Transportation
      • A-Z of Services & Information
    • Online Services

      • Bulky Waste Pickup
      • County Jobs
      • Inmate Search
      • Pay Taxes
      • Property Search
      • Transit Passes
      • Pay Water Bill
      • View Online Services
    • News & Social Media

      • Meetings & Events
      • Miami-Dade TV
      • Mobile Apps
      • Press Releases
      • Public Notices
      • Social Media
      • Read Latest News
    • Create a new miamidade.gov account

      A miamidade.gov profile allows you to link to your Water and Sewer customer account, as well as subscribe to a variety of news and alert services.

      Receive weekly news & events, public notices, recycling reminders, grant opportunities, emergency alerts, transit rider alerts and more.

      • Sign Up Now
    • Elected Officials

      • Office of the Mayor
      • Board of County Commissioners
      • Clerk of the Courts
      • Property Appraiser
      • A-Z of Elected Officials
    • County Agencies

      • Departments
      • Offices
      • Boards
      • Trusts
      • A-Z of County Agencies
    • Transparency & Open Data

      • County Budget
      • Elections
      • Virtual Meetings
      • Legislative Information
      • Public Records
      • Search More Data
    • Employee Information

      • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
      • County Jobs
      • Employee Benefits
      • Employee Discounts
      • Human Rights & Fair Employment
      • Labor Relations
      • Pay & Compensation
      • Training & Development
      • Visit Employee Portal
    • My Employee Portal

      Employees can login to access personnel information, workplace tools, trainings and more.

      Graphic of Employee Working
      • Login to My Employee Portal
Search
Login
  • User Icon
    • Dashboard
    • Update Profile
    • Sign Out
  • |
  • Sign Out
  • Miami-Dade County
    • Interest Categories

      • Animals & Pets
      • Building & Development
      • Business & Industry
      • Courts & Records
      • Elections & Voting
      • Environment & Resilience
      • Home & Property
      • Housing & Social Services
      • Jobs & Employment
      • Public Safety
      • Recreation & Culture
      • Travel & Transportation
      • A-Z of Services & Information
    • Online Services

      • Bulky Waste Pickup
      • County Jobs
      • Inmate Search
      • Pay Taxes
      • Property Search
      • Transit Passes
      • Pay Water Bill
      • View Online Services
    • News & Social Media

      • Meetings & Events
      • Miami-Dade TV
      • Mobile Apps
      • Press Releases
      • Public Notices
      • Social Media
      • Read Latest News
    • Create a new miamidade.gov account

      A miamidade.gov profile allows you to link to your Water and Sewer customer account, as well as subscribe to a variety of news and alert services.

      Receive weekly news & events, public notices, recycling reminders, grant opportunities, emergency alerts, transit rider alerts and more.

      • Sign Up Now
    • Elected Officials

      • Office of the Mayor
      • Board of County Commissioners
      • Clerk of the Courts
      • Property Appraiser
      • A-Z of Elected Officials
    • County Agencies

      • Departments
      • Offices
      • Boards
      • Trusts
      • A-Z of County Agencies
    • Transparency & Open Data

      • County Budget
      • Elections
      • Virtual Meetings
      • Legislative Information
      • Public Records
      • Search More Data
    • Employee Information

      • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
      • County Jobs
      • Employee Benefits
      • Employee Discounts
      • Human Rights & Fair Employment
      • Labor Relations
      • Pay & Compensation
      • Training & Development
      • Visit Employee Portal
    • My Employee Portal

      Employees can login to access personnel information, workplace tools, trainings and more.

      Graphic of Employee Working
      • Login to My Employee Portal
Home / Water and Sewer / Connect 2 Protect will extend sanitary sewer services in our County

Connect 2 Protect will extend sanitary sewer services in our County

January 31, 2022 — Water and Sewer
Share:
Illustrated image of septic tank to sewer connection
Connect 2 Protect will provide sanitary sewer service to residents with septic tanks systems.

On the shore of Biscayne Bay during a perfect South Florida “winter” day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava launched Connect 2 Protect, a multi-year, countywide program to provide sanitary sewer service to residents with septic tanks systems.

With approximately 120,000 septic tank systems still in use in Miami-Dade County, 9,000 septic tank systems are vulnerable to compromise or failure under current groundwater conditions. As sea-level rise increases, this number will grow to approximately 13,500 by 2040. Compromised and failing septic tank systems can cause public health risks, negative impacts on private properties and impacts on the local environment – including Biscayne Bay.

“Today, we broke ground on our first septic-to-sewer conversion project, the first of many that will help us build a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Miami-Dade for the future. Through Connect 2 Protect, we will help thousands of Miami-Dade residents and business owners with their connection to our sewer system to protect their homes, businesses and way of life in the coming years,” said Mayor Levine Cava. “This is more than just a public works project. It is a significant step toward mitigating the effects of climate change on our County and part of a more substantial effort to modernize and improve County services to all our residents.”

The first phase of this program in the Little River Adaptation Action Area begins along Northeast 87 Street and Northeast Bayshore Drive and will connect 40 residential parcels, which are mainly coastal properties. The next stage starts in March 2023, when 330 properties in the Larchmont community will begin the process of retiring their septic tank systems and connecting to newly constructed County sewer infrastructure. 

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) received grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that will be used exclusively in the Little River Adaptation Action Area to help cover the remaining costs based on nutrient pollution reductions and economic need. Little River is one of the first areas for Connect 2 Protect implementation based on its designation as an Adaptation Action Area, a designation that focuses on those communities most vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding.

“Much of the Little River area is low-lying and prone to flooding,” said WASD Director Roy Coley. “Residents report that septic tank systems are failing during heavy rain and high tide events, which has resulted in sewage backing up into homes and the ponding of floodwater on lawns and roadways. With the implementation of Connect 2 Protect, we will be able to provide residents with reliable wastewater removal services, improving the quality of life within these communities and safeguarding the environment, as well. I look forward to working with these new customers and providing them with excellent customer service.” 

It will take many years for Connect 2 Protect to be fully executed. However, those continuing to be served by septic tank systems can aid in minimizing nutrient impacts to our groundwater and local waterways by properly maintaining their systems, according to Miami-Dade County’s Regulatory and Economic Resources Department (RER) – a department that also provides a vital role in this plan’s roll-out.

“The creation and adoption of the Little River Adaptation Action Area, where this critical program is being launched, is an example of how Miami-Dade County is innovatively and comprehensively addressing the issue of coastal flooding and sea-level rise in a proactive manner within our community,” said RER Director Lourdes Gomez. “The Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources is honored to be a part of this program, to further our mission of building resilience and protecting our natural resources.”

It is the priority of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to provide safe, reliable service to its customers.

Learn more about Connect 2 Protect

Related News

Get ready for spring cleaning, enroll in paperless billing
New bathroom fixtures can lower your bill and conserve the environment
Give the gift of water on Give Miami Day – Donate to WASD Cares
Nominate a WASD employee who has demonstrated exceptional customer service
Give the gift of water

Help and Support

  • Miami-Dade Home
  • Privacy Statement
  • ADA Notice
  • Disclaimer
  • About Miami-Dade

Self-Service

  • 311 Contact Center
  • Mobile Applications
  • Open Data
  • Public Records
  • Service Directory

Stay Connected

  • News RSS Feed
  • Legal Ads & Public Notices
  • Social Media Directory

Miami-Dade County Home

© 2022 Miami-Dade County. All rights reserved.

Back to top
Miami-Dade County Homepage
Miami-Dade County Facebook - Opens a warning dialog
Miami-Dade County Twitter - Opens a warning dialog
Miami-Dade County Instagram - Opens a warning dialog
Miami-Dade County TV - Opens a warning dialog
Feedback
chat

Leaving Miami-Dade County

You are now leaving the official website of Miami-Dade County government. Please be aware that when you exit this site, you are no longer protected by our privacy or security policies. Miami-Dade County is not responsible for the content provided on linked sites. The provision of links to these external sites does not constitute an endorsement.

Please click 'OK' to be sent to the new site, or Click 'Cancel' to go back.