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operation and maintenance of such water or sewer systems by the County. The System provides water and sewer services to a portion of the County's population, with a majority of the other County residents being serviced by private wells and septic tanks and the City of Vero Beach, Florida, which operates its own water and sewer systema. The County presently operates two reverse osmosis water treatment plants, the south County plant ("South County Plant") and the North Beach plant ("North Beach Plant"). The water plants have a present nominal capacity of 9.5 million gallons per day ("MGD"). The County has expanded its production capacity for the South County Plant to 8.5 MGD. On November 1, 1990, the County consummated the purchase of the business and assets of the North Beach Water Company consisting of the North Beach Plant (with a reverse osmosis treatment capacity of 500,000 gallons per day) and a distribution system in the northern portion of the County ('North Beach Water System"). The North Beach Plant has been expanded to a total capacity of 1 MGD. The County is designing and permitting a 3 MGD North County Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant for construction within the next eighteen (18) months. The County currently operates over 406 miles of size 2" to 30" water distribution mains. The County is currently conducting a very aggressive assessment expansion program of the water system to serve approximately 7,000 one-half acre or less lots located in the County service area, and has completed construction of water lines to serve 6,405 of these lots. Presently, wastewater treatment and disposal service in the unincorporated portions of the County is provided by approximately 16 wastewater plants. Nine of these plants with an aggregate 4.83 MGD of treatment capacity are owned and operated by the County. Of the facilities owned and operated by the County, the four largest account for nominal capacity of 3.85 MGD in the aggregate. The remaining five treatment plants, in the aggregate, account for additional capacity of approximately .885 MGD. The County also has the right to have treated up to 1.39 MGD at the municipally owned City of Vero Beach wastewater treatment plant. The County is currently expanding its West Regional Wastewater Plant from 1 MGD to 2 MGD. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by April, 1996. The County has constructed a 180 acre wetland for effluent disposal treatment, adjacent to the West Regional Wastewater Plant. The wetland is designed for 6.0 million gallons per day (MGD) effluent disposal treatment capacity with an initial permitted disposal treatment capacity of 2.0 MGD. The County is expanding each of the three largest plants from a treatment capacity of 1 MGD to a capacity of 2 MGD, with the completion of such expansion expected in 2 years. The County currently owns and operates over 241 miles of size 3" to 24' wastewater collection system mains. The County's Regional Sludge Facility opened August 4, 1993. The Facility was needed to meet the County's immediate and future needs for the treatment and disposal of sludge (the solid or semi-solid residual by-product of the wastewater treatment plant process), septage (the liquids and solids removed from domestic septic tanks and portable toilet facilities), and grease (the material taken from commercial grease traps typically found at food processing facilities and restaurants). A grant (the "Grant") from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ("FDEP") and the Environmental Protection Agency ('EPA") was used to pay a portion of the costs relating to the Regional Sludge Facility. The final amount of the Grant has been reviewed and approved by FDEP and EPA. The County has received $2,082,196.00 in grant funds through September, 1995. system Starr The System presently employs 109 persons. The System is managed by Terrance G. Pinto, Director of Utilities. It is the opinion of management that the System enjoys excellent labor relations. 16