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February 14, 2024
We have some exciting news! Miami Waterkeeper has been selected to receive a Community Grant from the Miami Foundation in the Resiliency category! The Miami Foundation's community grants invest more than $1.3 million in Miami-Dade non-profits. This year, 71 non-profits are sharing the $1.3 million. Community grants provide support to Greater Miami organizations whose initiatives improve local quality of life in three areas: Opportunity, Creativity, and Resiliency.
In the past, we have received support from the Miami Foundation Community Grant program for our work advocating for sustainable wastewater reuse. Specifically, our 2018 grant supported an Earth Economics study which quantified economic benefit for clean wastewater reuse. Our 2019 grant will fund a new initiative regarding sea level rise resilience and septic/sewage infrastructure in Miami-Dade County.
As the impacts of climate change and sea level rise continue to intensify, Miami-Dade County's antiquated system of septic tanks are becoming increasingly vulnerable, threatening water quality, public health, and the long term resiliency of our communities.
Miami-Dade County recently released a report, "Septic Systems Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise" detailing that over 50% of septic tanks are already compromised for part of the year and predicting that more than 60% of septic tanks (about 67,000) could become compromised by 2040 as rising groundwater levels and increased flooding cause septic system failure.
As Miami-Dade County is currently contemplating priorities for a multi-billion-dollar investment in their infrastructure, we hope to ensure that the proper attention is paid to this urgent resiliency issue. We plan to implement a multifaceted approach to address failing septic tanks in Miami-Dade, including (1) public education and outreach and (2) a policy campaign.
Thank you Miami Foundation for your support of our efforts to build a more resilient community!