The Volusia County Council will on Tuesday consider two proposals that would ban the use of reclaimed water — recycled, treated wastewater — for drinking.
A suggested charter amendment would still need to be approved by voters later this year. But a proposed county ordinance could take effect immediately, if council members give it the green light.
If finalized, the proposals would only ban the practice of recycling treated wastewater for drinking within Volusia’s water utility service area, not the county’s municipalities. The Daytona Beach City Commission is also slated on Wednesday to consider an ordinance to ban the practice.
Potable reuse is the official term for adding recycled, treated wastewater to a drinking water supply, whether directly or indirectly. Indirect potable reuse refers to when recycled water goes back into either groundwater or a surface water body, like a lake or river. Direct potable reuse is when recycled water is treated to meet drinking water standards and delivered directly to a drinking water supply.
As Central Florida grows and the region’s fresh water reserves become increasingly strained, water managers say, potable reuse will be one key alternative water supply strategy for meeting the area’s water needs. Other alternative water supply methods include using brackish water, or surface water from lakes and rivers, either for drinking water or to offset the use of fresh water elsewhere.
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By the year 2045, the Central Florida region will be running short on groundwater by approximately 96 million gallons a day (mgd), according to a future water supply plan finalized late last year by the Central Florida Water Initiative. The plan identifies 140 potential options for water supply and water resource development projects. Among those project options, 92 (nearly 66%) are reclaimed water projects.
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Although no utilities in Florida are distributing recycled water for drinking yet, state rules allowing for that to happen took effect about a year ago. Several cities, including Altamonte Springs and Plant City, have launched pilot projects to demonstrate the practice can work.
Daytona Beach resident Greg Gimbert is staunchly opposed to what he and other critics call “toilet to tap.” Supporters of potable reuse take issue with that term, since recycled water goes through many steps and layers of treatment after the initial sewage treatment process before it’s considered drinkable.
But Gimbert is firm: “No matter how you slice it, it's toilet eventually making it to your tap. … Some people don't want to acknowledge that reality.”
Gimbert is leading local efforts to organize against potable reuse, which he describes as a cheap way for the state to continue allowing for excessive development and water use permitting.
“I'm only trying to take the cheapest and dirtiest way to solve the growth problem off the table, so we can step back and work on solutions that are not just sustainable, that make Florida survivable,” Gimbert said.
Meanwhile, some Volusia County residents say there’s one key piece missing from the potable reuse discussion: water conservation.
Wendy Anderson is an environmental science professor at Stetson University, currently running for Volusia County’s District 1 seat. She is also an elected member of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District.
For Anderson, potable reuse can be likened to a root canal: not ideal, but necessary.
“Nobody likes to have a root canal,” Anderson said. “But when you need one, you need one. And you don't want to take that tool out of your dentist toolbox. And the best way to not need a root canal is to do preventative care.”
In her potable reuse analogy, Anderson said, the preventative care is water conservation. Conserving more water could prevent, or at least somewhat mitigate, the need to drink recycled water in Florida, she said.
“We're not talking enough about conservation,” Anderson said. “We should be talking about all the ways that we can stop wasting what's left of our good water supply. …. If you're dumping drinking water on your lawn, you are part of the problem.”
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At a Volusia Council meeting earlier this month, there was some heated discussion about the perceived health and safety risks of potable reuse.
Council Chair Jeffrey Brower expressed concern that, even after treatment, recycled wastewater could further impair already-polluted waterways, like freshwater springs. “Do we need (water) conservation? Granted, we do. Are septic systems putting pollution into the water? Yeah, they probably are. But we have an opportunity to stop putting this into hyperspeed and making it far worse for our county.”
Speaking during a public comment period, Suzanne Scheiber of Dream Green Volusia urged council members to prioritize water conservation strategies.
“Are we admitting exploitation of our natural resources out loud?” Scheiber said. “Where and when will we see a serious plan for water conservation with this discussion?”
Senior Assistant County Attorney Paolo Soria advised council members that, while the county has authority to ban potable reuse within its own water utility service area, it is preempted from controlling the ability of cities and municipalities to do so.
“There's a requirement that says potable reuse may not be disallowed from being part of your regional water planning activity, when you get to the state level,” Soria said.
Such state-level requirements are precisely what’s prompting concern for Gimbert, the Daytona Beach resident leading the charge against potable reuse projects in Volusia. If local governments don’t move to limit the practice now, he said, it likely won’t be long before the state ties their hands from doing so.
Addressing council members earlier this month, Gimbert urged them to take action against potable reuse now, before it’s too late.
“What I’m asking you to do today is to take the bare bones, minimum step to the tiny little sliver that the state has allowed you to have to reserve important protections for your residents,” Gimbert said.
The Volusia Council meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The Daytona Beach Commission meets Wednesday at 6 p.m.
