Flagler Beach — City staff told the City Commission on Aug. 13 that work on a screw-press at the wastewater treatment plant is scheduled to begin and that longer-term plant upgrades are being designed to meet a state reuse requirement.

Staff member said the screw-press installation will take about 10 months and that a proposal from engineering firm CPH will be submitted on the 28th (the staff presentation identified CPH as the intended engineer of record). The proposal is described as “over $1,000,000,” but staff said the intent is to limit use of CPH services to the minimum needed because CPH is already familiar with the current design.

The budget discussion placed the screw-press and related components (an equalization basin and a master lift station) as key items in the utility capital plan, and staff described these as necessary to secure State Revolving Fund (SRF) funding tied to the upgrades. Staff also told commissioners that the existing SRF loan will likely not cover the full cost of the wastewater plant rebuild and that additional grants and loans will be sought.

Why it matters: the state has a statutory requirement that will effectively end disposal to the Intracoastal Waterway by 2031 and requires reclaimed (reuse) water capability. Staff said the rebuilt plant will be made capable of treating for reuse and that additional infrastructure — reverse‑osmosis skid(s), storage tanks, pumps and distribution piping — will follow as part of a reuse master plan.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the limited existing reuse piping (noted as portions in KB Homes and Park Village, and work by Veranda Bay) and raised the practical challenges and costs of extending reuse service across the bridge and to distant irrigators such as the municipal golf course. Staff advised that reuse implementation is expensive and that the city will continue to pursue SRF assistance, grants, and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions as options.

Staff direction and next steps: commissioners asked staff to continue work on securing SRF funding, to bring the CPH proposal for the screw-press to the commission when it is available, and to begin planning and funding analyses for reuse distribution and supporting equipment. No formal vote was recorded in the meeting minutes for this item.

Supporting quotes from the meeting: “Yes. Mr. Freeman indicated it's about 10 months. The screw press will be up and running. You will actually see a proposal from CPH on the 20 eighth,” Staff member said during the discussion. On reuse planning, Staff member said, “We'll be capable of treating for reused water. Correct. Reused water capabilities are being built into the plant because they have to be. As of now, the state statute is by the 2031… We can't discharge into the intercoastal anymore.”

The commission was repeatedly told the SRF loan and other financing likely will not cover the full rebuild and reuse network, meaning future capital requests and grant applications are expected.

The commission asked staff to return with formal proposals, grant applications, and funding scenarios in future meetings so members can weigh timing and budget impacts.