The City of Tallahassee

Environmental Practices

The City of Tallahassee strives to protect the future of our city and our world.

City Expands Sustainability Efforts

Originally posted January 30, 2019

The City of Tallahassee has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability and renewable energy. On Jan. 30, the Tallahassee City Commission reaffirmed that commitment by setting the path toward an aggressive vision for our community's clean energy future.

Voting unanimously, the Commission authorized the City to join the Sustainable Tallahassee Capital Area Sustainability Compact and directed the City Manager to move forward with next steps, including bringing a draft resolution to the City Commission for consideration at its Feb. 20 meeting and draft goals, with interim milestones, to the City Commission for consideration at its June 19 meeting.

"The action taken by the Commission tonight ensures that the City will continue to be a recognized leader across the state, region and nation for its sustainability efforts," Mayor John Dailey said.

View more of this release in the Newsroom.

Tallahassee Solar

Solar power has many environmental benefits. By powering your life with solar energy, you can reduce your carbon footprint, reduce air and water emissions and reduce your family's use of fossil fuels. Solar power is clean and renewable. Additionally, Tallahassee Solar allows customers to take advantage of solar energy without installing solar panels on their home or business. It also allows for the use of clean energy without the risk of direct ownership.

The City currently has a 20 megawatt solar farm in operation, with plans for an additional 40 megawatt farm in the works.

Given the volatility of the fuel markets, Tallahassee Solar customers, which will have a fixed fuel rate of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 20 years, will likely see their energy bill decrease over time as compared with non-participants.

Sign Up for Solar Waiting List

City Sustainability through Biofuel

For nearly a decade, Fleet Management has been working on pollution prevention and waste reduction in its shop. Currently, it is continuing conservation efforts by turning to biodiesel fuel.

What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines that is receiving great attention worldwide. Although it attracts the most attention because it is renewable, it is also known for reduced exhaust pollutants. It is also attractive because it can be produced relatively easily from common feedstocks such as poultry (chicken) fat and virgin or restaurant waste vegetable oil.

Biodiesel is defined as the mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. In simple terms, biodiesel is the product obtained when a vegetable oil or animal fat is chemically reacted with an alcohol to produce fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel). Potassium or sodium hydroxide (lye) is also used in the process as a catalyst. Glycerin is produced as a co-product and can be converted to useable soap.

Learn more about Biofuel and our Fleet Sustainability programs.

Greening Tallahassee

Greening Tallahassee is an annual Earth Day celebration. The 2018 event was hosted at the Thomas P. Smith Water Reclamation Facility, located on Springhill Road, with tours to the nearby Tallahassee Solar farm on the property of the Tallahassee International Airport. During the event, participants learned how to reduce, reuse and recycle and how City departments are working to protect our environment.

Sewer Over Septic

Wakulla Springs, the 4th largest spring in the world is experiencing too much algae growth, which affects the health of this unique and delicate ecosystem. The cause of the excess algae growth was determined to be from nitrates from wastewater reaching the groundwater and flowing to Wakulla Springs. Two main sources of wastewater are from the City's sprayfield in the southern part of Leon County (where all of the City's treated wastewater from central sewer is applied) and from septic systems throughout Leon and Wakulla Counties. With the completion of the City's $227M Advanced Wastewater Treatment project in 2014, the City has achieved significant reductions of nitrate to the groundwater and to Wakulla Springs. Scientists agree the next biggest nitrate source to address is from the cumulative affect of individual septic systems. Most of the septic systems that need to be addressed, either by upgrades to a performance-based system or by connecting to central sewer, are located outside the City limits, in both Leon and Wakulla Counties. There are approximately 50,000 septic systems in the two counties. There are relatively few septic systems left within the city limits of Tallahassee. But those that are a priority to address by connecting the properties to existing central sewer, lie in the southern portion of the City limits. In this area, septic systems have a greater negative impact on the health of Wakulla Springs due to the geology of the area. The City has estimated approximately 130 properties in this area of the City that already have central sewer available. Grant funding provided by the State of Florida to connect these properties to sewer will help to reduce the amount of nitrates reaching Wakulla Springs.

Tallahassee Named Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community

To mark the end of National Bike Month, the League of American Bicyclists (League) announced in May that Tallahassee has earned the coveted Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) designation. This award recognizes communities for actively supporting bicycling by providing safe accommodations and encouraging community members to bike for recreation and transportation. Tallahassee is one of only seven Florida communities to receive the Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

Read the entire press release here

Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management's Mission is to assist the community with defining its priority stormwater management objectives, in the context of physical, environmental, and socio-economic concerns, and to develop and implement strategies to address the same, as expeditiously and to the fullest extent possible, within the resources the community chooses to allocate to these efforts.

Stormwater Forms

Drinking Water

Wastewater