Volusia County joins rush to use river for water

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
New water source? — As a result of action by the Volusia County Council, the county growth-management plan now designates the St. Johns River as a possible source of water for local utilities. The council's move, approved on a 4-3 vote, means Volusia will likely share in the cost of Seminole County's Yankee Lake water-treatment plant. Yankee Lake is on the south side of the scenic river, not far from DeBary. Opponents of tapping the St. Johns for water claim there will be irreparable environmental damage, as salt water from the river's mouth near Jacksonville may move farther south.

BEACON PHOTOS/AL EVERSON
Volusia County Council — As a result of action by the Volusia County Council, the county growth-management plan now designates the St. Johns River as a possible source of water for local utilities.

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted May 2, 2009 - 7:48:47am

Feeling pressure from state agencies, the Volusia County Council has tentatively committed to join Seminole County in tapping the St. Johns River as a future water source.

On April 16, just days after the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board voted 5-4 to allow Seminole County to build a water-treatment plant at Yankee Lake, the County Council voted 4-3 to share that plant.

The County Council's vote means Volusia taxpayers could share in at least some of the cost of the controversial plant.

Council members said the St. Johns River Water Management District made them do it.

"We've received an unfunded mandate from the Water Management District," said County Council Member Jack Hayman.

The Water Management District has ordered local utilities, including the county, to find alternatives to using the aquifer for water, if they want to keep getting their CUPs renewed. A CUP is a consumptive-use permit, granted by the Water Management District as permission to withdraw water from the aquifer.

The county will decide later this year whether to join in the Yankee Lake venture in earnest or forgo participation.

Deputy County Manager Mary Anne Connors said the council's action is necessary — at least for now.

"It shows intent, but it does not commit the money," Connors said. "It's your plan, until you come up with a different plan."

The council's action came in the form of an amendment to Volusia County's state-required growth-management plan. The plan is also known as the comprehensive plan, or comp plan, for short.

The comprehensive-plan amendment deals with water-supply planning, including long-range proposals for meeting water demands in a growing county and region.

The Florida Department of Community Affairs requires such an amendment, and the Water Management District is pressing localities within its jurisdiction to develop water sources other than the aquifer.

For years, state and local officials have talked about using the surface water of the St. Johns River and desalinating seawater to cover future water needs.

The aquifers, especially Volusia County's sole-source aquifer, are not enough to meet the demands of a growing region in the decades to come, according to civic leaders and Water Management District planners. Yankee Lake is seeking partners who want some of the treated river water piped to them, rather than building their own alternative-water plants.

Yankee Lake's official name is the Seminole County Regional Water Treatment Facility at Yankee Lake. It is a two-part project. Phase 1, which is to produce up to 10 million gallons of nonpotable water for irrigation, will cost an estimated $55 million.

Phase 2 may cost as much as $250 million to $300 million to build, and it is supposed to produce as much as 25 million gallons of potable water per day for utilities sharing in the project. Seminole County officials asked Volusia and other neighboring localities to join the venture.

Yet another factor in the planning for alternative water supplies is the Water Management District's insistence on maintaining certain minimum flows and water levels in Blue Spring, near Orange City, for the benefit of manatees wintering there.

To sustain this minimum level of water, the district's planners claim, pumping from the aquifer must be restricted, especially in the vicinity of Blue Spring. That area, referred to as the springshed, covers Orange City, much of Deltona, DeLand and DeBary.

Unless counties and cities within the Water Management District follow the mandate to plan other water sources, the district may severely limit their groundwater withdrawals.

The Water Management District issues consumptive-use permits, or licenses to pump water from the aquifer. The district may order a locality to use alternative water as a condition for renewing its CUP.

The Florida Department of Community Affairs allows local counties and cities to amend their growth plans twice a year. The amendments, often, are to change land uses to provide for new development. The amendment approved April 16 was to add a plan for water to the document.

Unless Volusia provides for alternative water supplies in the future, Assistant County Attorney Jamie Seaman warned, the county would be defying state growth-management laws and regulations.

"We would be found in noncompliance and would not be allowed to adopt any more comp-plan amendments," Seaman told the council.

While the County Council's action in favor of participating in the Yankee Lake project does not involve money now, the county will soon have to pay to play, Connors said.

"You're in effect buying in, in terms of the bond issue," she said.

How much will Volusia have to pay?

"The check is coming for us to write," Connors added.

An initial payment of approximately $100,000 will be due and payable in June.

"By October," she said, "you're looking at $2 million to $3 million."

Opponents of the Yankee Lake project — and Volusia's participation — claim taking water from the St. Johns will degrade the river, especially during droughts. Better options, they propose, are water conservation and the use of reclaimed water, such as treated effluent or stormwater collected in retention ponds.

The County Council is still looking for alternatives.

"We're going to sit down with the St. Johns Water Management District and try to resolve these issues," County Chair Frank Bruno said.

The County Council narrowly voted to amend Volusia County's comprehensive plan to include Yankee Lake as a possible future water source. Bruno, Vice Chair Joie Alexander, and Council Members Jack Hayman and Carl Persis formed the majority. The dissenting faction consisted of Council Members Andy Kelly, Pat Northey and Josh Wagner.

Kelly noted the council could revisit the issue next year, possibly deleting its role in funding the Yankee Lake facility and supporting greater water conservation and reusing wastewater or stormwater.

"There could be a shift," Kelly said.

He pointed out membership on the Water Management District Governing Board could change, and a new majority could oppose tapping the river.

— al@beacononlinenews.com

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