Projects nationwide are waiting for their stimulus check to come in the mail from Washington, but the very first city to receive stimulus money from the Department of Environmental Protection is right here in our area.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection says Sopchoppy's sewer project is the first to receive funding from the state's Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

City officials say the project will do big things to clean up one community's dirty business.

"We have to protect our environment. It's a part of us," says City of Sopchoppy Mayor Robert Greener.

The City of Sopchoppy Florida is known for it's pristine waters and scenic areas, but with the lay of the land and a hand from mother nature, keeping the water sanitary is a big concern.

"I look at this I guess as one of the first steps in that direction. We have a long way to go in protecting our waters," says Robert Holmden of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Folks dug in Tuesday afternoon, hoping the gold on the shovels will be an indication of the rich future of the project.

"The fact of inundated septic tanks is over, it's going to work," says City of Sopchoppy Mayor Robert Greener.

By May 2010, 300 residents' problematic septic tanks will be converted to a new and improved sewer system, with all of the waste channeled to the County's treatment plant.

City officials say this project wouldn't be possible without the help from state and federal grants, with $4.3 million of that is coming from Washington.

Almost all of the money being spent for the Sewer Collection System project will stay within 100 miles of Sopchoppy, meaning a much needed boost for the local economy.