Manatee County Government
Your Wastewater Treatment System
Manatee County operates three wastewater treatment plants that serve the southwest, southeast, and north portions of the county. Our system serves virtually the entire urban area of unincorporated Manatee County and the cities of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria, and the town of Longboat Key. The cities of Bradenton and Palmetto operate their own treatment systems.
Background and Current Usage
Manatee County's treatment system was constructed in the 1970s-1980s at a cost of approximately $102 million, with Federal construction grants that paid more than half the cost. At the time, construction of our system was one of the largest capital improvement projects of its kind in Florida.
The Southwest treatment plant can treat up to 22 million gallons of wastewater per day, while the other two plants can treat between 7 and 11 million gallons per day. This is enough to handle population growth well into the future.
By eliminating thousands of septic tanks and small, inefficient "package" plants that previously discharged wastewater into Sarasota Bay, the treatment plants also greatly improved the quality of water in the Bay. Manatee County's treatment plants do not discharge into any surface waters.
