Montverde, Florida is moving to eliminate residential septic systems that threaten the lakes surrounding this Lake County town of 2,000, part of a statewide push to fix failing rural infrastructure before it becomes an environmental crisis.

The town is seeking contractors to convert homes from septic to centralized sewer, addressing a problem created by decades-old systems now straining under population growth. Montverde has grown from fewer than 1,500 residents in 2010 to over 2,000 today, putting pressure on septic tanks designed for a smaller, more rural community.

The stakes are local and immediate. Montverde sits between Lake Apopka—once one of Florida's most polluted lakes, now recovering—and smaller pristine lakes like Lake Florence that define the town's identity and property values. Aging septic systems, typically built to last 20 to 30 years, leak nutrients into groundwater that feed algae blooms and degrade water quality. In flood-prone Florida, failing septic can mix with drinking water sources and release raw sewage.

Florida has 2.6 million septic systems, the most in the nation, and state law now requires inspections every five years in vulnerable areas after toxic algae blooms devastated tourism and marine life in 2018. Small towns like Montverde have struggled to afford the multimillion-dollar cost of sewer conversions, but federal infrastructure funding from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has opened a narrow window to act.

The town is accepting bids now under project number 2024-WW001. Neighboring Lake County communities including Mount Dora and Tavares have undertaken similar conversions in recent years as the region races to modernize infrastructure built for a different era.