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DeBary workshop flags potable‑water, septic‑to‑sewer gaps and reclaimed‑water expansion
Summary
Staff presented the public‑facilities analysis for the comprehensive plan, describing potable water service areas, septic neighborhoods, a master plan to convert septic to central sewer, the Southwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility expansion and reclaimed‑water delivery questions tied to future development.
City of DeBary Growth Management Director Stephen Babb on Wednesday summarized the public‑facilities findings in Volume 1 of the city’s draft comprehensive plan, describing where potable water, central sewer and septic systems currently serve the city and identifying gaps requiring capital planning.
The nut graf: staff told council members the city relies primarily on Volusia County Utilities for potable water, has scattered areas served by private wells or by Deltona Public Works on the east side of Interstate 4, and is coordinating with county master‑planning efforts to convert neighborhoods from septic to central sewer.
Babb said the map in the plan shows areas served by the county’s potable water distribution system (shown in yellow), older parts of the city served by wells (green), and a small number of parcels where service status was not clear from existing data. He told the council there are roughly “50 to 68 individual homes” in the Dirksen Road area that are served by Deltona Public Works rather than Volusia County.
On sewer, Babb said the Southwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility is expanding and now has capacity of 4,500,000 gallons per day; staff said the existing facility should serve beyond the 20‑year planning period. He also described an ongoing Volusia County utilities master plan to convert portions of the city from individual septic systems to a central sewer system.
Stormwater came up as a recurring constraint in older neighborhoods. Babb said some drainage facilities are inadequate during extreme events and that the city has undertaken multiple stormwater improvement projects. On solid waste, staff reported an average of 49 pounds per household per week and noted a new county landfill expansion adjacent to the existing facility to meet regional capacity needs.
Council members asked implementation questions and raised coordination issues. Council member Papalardo expressed anxiety about the number of properties relying on septic systems and asked for more detail; Babb and staff said those gaps will be addressed in Volume 2 policy work. Vice Mayor Butland asked how reclaimed water fits into the plan; Babb said reclaimed water will be included in the comprehensive plan using county metrics and that reclaimed water distribution depends on the treatment plant’s expanded capacity and the installation of distribution piping.
The workshop materials note the city coordinates closely with Volusia County Utilities, the Department of Environmental Protection, the St. Johns River Water Management District and other regional agencies on water and wastewater matters. No actions were taken at the workshop; council members asked staff to carry the public‑facilities data into policy drafting scheduled for the June 18 meeting.
