Students in Environmental Journalism class at the UF College of Journalism and Communications spent their semester reporting on Florida’s sewage challenges and solutions. They interviewed scientists and policymakers; met with rural residents who worry that spreading biosolids on rural lands could harm human health and real estate values; traveled to sewage-treatment plants across the state; and reported on some of the most promising technical solutions.

To get in touch: Please reach out to faculty adviser Cynthia Barnett.

Halima Attah | 🔗

Alanna Robbert | 🔗

Richard Bennett | 🔗

Garrett Shanley | 🔗

Azhalia Pottinger | 🔗

This story was produced by WUFT’s Environment & Ag Desk, a journalism collaborative covering environment, climate, food and farming. Donate here to help support the next generation of environmental reporters at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications.

Rose Schnabel, Report for America corps member on WUFT’s Environment & Ag Desk

Cynthia Barnett, Director of Climate and Environment Reporting Initiatives, UF College of Journalism and Communications

David Kofahl, Visiting Professional, interactives and design, UF College of Journalism and Communications

Gavin Off, Data Journalism Lecturer, UF College of Journalism and Communications

Kamila Koralasbayev, UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication

Production and Additional Editing

• Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, Fellow, WUFT Environment & Ag Desk
• Leah Harding and Lillian Guevara-Castro
• Rose Schnabel and Cynthia Barnett

Special thanks to:

Harrison Hove, Interim Chair and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism, for funding to support the students’ travel and reporting

Ethan Magoc, Interim Director, WUFT’s Innovation News Center

April Hines, Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian in UF’s George A. Smathers Libraries

1000 Friends of Florida for biosolids production and application data

Donors to UF’s Environmental Journalism Gift Fund for supporting the next generation of environmental storytellers in Florida and beyond

A note on our biosolids analysis

UF's College of Journalism and Communications analyzed where biosolids were produced and received through FDEP reports spanning 2019 to 2022. We defined “rural” counties as those with 200 people per square mile or fewer outside of metropolitan hubs.