DeLand, FL – Volusia County is teaming up with the state on a new project that should produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of reclaimed water a day on the west side of the county.
That $8.25 million project – a joint effort between the county, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District – is meant to restore and protect Blue Spring.
“We are delighted to see it move forward,” said SJRWMD Executive Director Ann Shortelle.
Volusia will contribute $2.7 million to the project, with DEP adding $3.47 million and the SJRWMD adding in the rest, which comes out to approximately $2 million.
The project aims to redirect wastewater from the Four Towns treatment plant – recently decommissioned – to Volusia’s Southwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility.
Volusia County Water Resources and Utilities Division Director Michael Ulrich says that move should improve the level of wastewater treatment in the area as well as produce 222,000 gallons of reclaimed water each day.
“Blue Spring is the largest spring on the St. Johns River,” Ulrich added. “The upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment is just one project among several the county has identified as key initiatives in our overall strategy for improved water quality.”
Once the project’s finished, Blue Spring should see a reduction of around 27,000 pounds of nitrogen and 14,000 pounds of phosphorus per year, per Ulrich.
“Protecting [Blue Spring] by means of improved water quality and flow is crucial for the entire region,” Ulrich stated.
The project – expected to begin construction in January – should also allow Volusia to remove around 5,200 septic tanks in the area, which county officials say has been a big factor in downgrading the water quality in that area.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.