Flagler Beach staff reviewed a sequence of wastewater upgrades and related planning needed to meet state reuse and discharge requirements and to secure State Revolving Fund (SRF) financing. Mr. Freeman and others told commissioners the city will need a screw-press installation, an equalization basin, a master lift station and design work if it is to build reclaimed-water capacity and stop direct discharge into the Intracoastal as required by state statute.
"It will be an over $1,000,000 proposal, but it's going to be for a la carte purposes," Mr. Freeman said of a forthcoming engineering proposal from CPH, who the city must retain as engineer of record to move SRF funding forward. Freeman added the city intends to minimize use of the firm's services but must have an engineer familiar with the current designs.
Staff said the plant rebuild will include reclaimed-water capability because "the state statute is by 2031" and the city will not be permitted to discharge to the Intracoastal in the future. Commissioners asked how much of the reclaimed network already exists: staff said reclaimed piping currently serves the KB Homes development and Park Village, and some connections are being built in other developments, but the city has no comprehensive reclaimed network on the river-side of the bridge.
Commissioners and staff discussed funding: the existing SRF loan is not expected to fully cover the plant costs and the city will need additional grants or loans. Staff said they are pursuing SRF and grant options, and that design of reclaim distribution (storage, RO skid to lower chloride, pumps, and pipelines) will be budgeted in later years; decisions about how to phase distribution (for example serving nearby ecotourism developments before the golf course) remain in the planning stage.
The commission directed staff to continue grant applications, bring firm engineering proposals for board review, and evaluate funding strategies for phased reclaimed-water distribution.