Council to transmit water‑supply facilities work plan as comprehensive‑plan amendment; staff seeks state review

City utility staff told the Palm Coast City Council at its Aug. 12 workshop that the proposed Water Supply Facilities Work Plan will be transmitted as a comprehensive‑plan amendment required by state law to document projected demand, alternative supplies and a near‑term capital program.

"This is a required part of our long term planning, and it ensures that we meet the water needs for our grown community," said Peter Roussell, utility deputy director, presenting the plan and its role in the comprehensive plan update.

Nut graf: The work plan projects future demand over a 20‑year horizon, identifies facility and source options (wells, brackish water, treatment upgrades), shows current water use trends below earlier projections, and sets a path for state transmission, 30‑day review and an anticipated October adoption hearing after agency comment. The plan is intended to support the city's utility capital planning and any future CUP (Consumptive Use Permit) or allocation requests.

What staff presented - Projections and coverage: the plan reports a 20‑year forecast for the utility service area (which includes areas outside the city limits served by Palm Coast utilities) and used the latest population projections available to staff. The presentation identified an outside‑service estimate of 7,211 people for the service area beyond the city limits; staff used regional population data from demographic consultants in the plan. - Alternate sources and conservation: staff described existing alternate‑supply steps already implemented — including water recovery projects at existing plants and lime‑softening/microfiltration at Plant 2 — and noted the city had recovered billions of gallons of finished water that would otherwise have been discharged. The plan identifies a potential brackish allocation of about 4.5 million gallons per day (MGD) and continued brackish test/monitoring wells as part of next steps. - Current capacity and near‑term needs: staff reported average finished water near 9.6 MGD over the recent measurement period, below the plan's illustrative finished‑water figure. The plan and presentation tie the water supply analysis to the capital improvement element to identify projects and funding for the next five years.

Regulatory and procedural next steps Staff said the plan will be transmitted to state agencies for the statutorily required 30‑day review, and that the city coordinated the plan with the St. Johns River Water Management District during development. The next steps in the city schedule are a public hearing at a council meeting and an anticipated adoption after agency review, currently expected in October.

Council and public questions Councilors pressed staff about population projections, annexation assumptions and how those numbers were incorporated into demand estimates. Roussell said staff used the county‑level projection pie and applied Palm Coast's historical share to arrive at the city's projection, and noted the plan will be updated periodically as population data and annexations change.

Public comment raised a range of concerns, including whether reclaimed or "recycled" water would be used for potable purposes, and whether residents could rely on present water capacity. Staff and utility leaders responded that current potable supply meets existing customers' needs and that an EQ (equalization) tank and other projects are part of planned capacity work to better manage wet weather and system constraints.

Ending and schedule Staff requested council approval to transmit the Water Supply Facilities Work Plan as a comprehensive plan amendment for state review. The plan is intended to provide a legally documented basis for the city's capital and CUP planning, but transmission does not itself change service rules or create immediate permit changes. Staff expects to return to council for adoption after the 30‑day review period and any agency comments are addressed.