An EDU is an “Equivalent Dwelling Unit”assigning wastewater system usage based on the water consumption.

There are major wastewater concerns in Islamorada.  We will continue to highlight concerns every week until there are none left to highlight!

The wastewater system is operated as an enterprise fund… a self-supporting government fund that sells goods and services to the public for a fee… just like a business.  We question whether the Village Wastewater Enterprise fund is operating in a businesslike manner!  

Self-supporting? No - they show major deficits year after year.

To address consistent deficits in the wastewater fund, when Greg Oravec was Village Manager, the council voted on 9/30/21 to approve a wastewater rate study at a cost of $42,820. The study was presented and approved by Council on 3/31/22. Oravec was no longer manager and the suggestions in the rate study were never implemented.   The Wastewater Fund continues to operate at a significant deficit year after year.

The current council has now been in office a full year - a year which resulted in a $5 million wastewater deficit….   No longer able to blame the past.

Thank you Islamorada Council for finally scheduling a wastewater special call meeting Nov 17 at 5:30 PM.  Now, let’s find solutions.

This week’s concern:

1. Several budget concerns highlighted by Nov 10 wastewater agenda items:

• Year-end (9/30/25) budget amendment shows a wastewater DEFICIT of $5,343,345 for the year just ended.

• Approval of work authorization with Wade Trim to fix MM92 force main raw sewage leaks at cost of engineering at $846,505, while only $370,00 is budgeted, potentially increasing the $775,128 wastewater deficit projected for current year by almost $500,000. Engineering costs are in addition to the $4,125,000 million projected for the actual construction.

• Time to correct wastewater rate problems and inequities

  
  

These wastewater budget concerns should be moved to the Special Call Wastewater meeting Nov 17.

Note - In recent past newsletters we have already questioned:

1. Why isn’t Sun Community paying their fair share of wastewater costs?

2. Why is the tiny 1947 trailer park near the Post Office paying more than their fair share?

3. Why are the three breweries in the Village paying a minimal amount?

4. Why does Village policy provide a volume discount for wastewater costs to the larger developments, resorts, marinas, restaurants with more than 10 EDUs?

5. Need for public special call meeting about Wastewater FDEP consent order approval. (Special Call Wastewater meeting now on the agenda for Nov 17, 5:30 PM)

We will continue to add/delete concerns until all have been resolved.