ECUA details water projects for Beulah, announces myECUA app and $3 million backbone upgrade

Vicky Campbell, the ECUA representative for District 1, told the town hall that ECUA is advancing several water and solid‑waste projects to prepare for growth in Beulah. She said the agency plans a portable water transmission main along Frank Rita Road that will connect to a proposed well site; that the Beulah Road water main will be upgraded from 6 inches to 10 inches as a backbone distribution improvement; and that ECUA is splitting the project into phases to match likely development timing.

Campbell said the Beulah transmission backbone upgrade is designed as an integral water distribution component and that ECUA will carry responsibility for its cost; she described the upgrade figure as "roughly, 3,000,000." She also updated residents on a new transfer station: FDOT driveway permits are in hand, Escambia County's Development Review Committee reviewed plans, and final stormwater approval is pending soil and percolation confirmation; the transfer station is expected to bid this fall with an 18–20 month construction window thereafter.

On customer services, Hamid Reza, ECUA’s IT director, previewed myECUA, a new app scheduled for release Feb. 16 that will let customers pay bills, file service requests with photos and receive pinned advisories. "You'll be able to pay your bill ... and instantly view any active advisories," Reza said. He emphasized geo‑fencing so the app is focused on ECUA service areas and noted staff will operate a dashboard to triage requests.

Campbell also addressed recycling contamination and service changes: ECUA has seen contamination rates around 40 percent locally compared with a lower city rate after program changes; ECUA is adjusting collection options and warned that persistent contamination could lead to removing curbside recycling in some locations.

What happens next: ECUA said the first phase of the water transmission project will be advertised for bid within months and that the transfer station will proceed after final stormwater conformity. The app will be available on Apple App Store and Google Play on Feb. 16; ECUA staff invited residents to meet staff after the meeting for maps and one‑on‑one questions.