A large capital project that could take two decades to complete is currently in the concept phase of DeBary.
A sewer system, the full cost of which has not yet been determined, is to be built to connect many, if not most, households and businesses that now rely on septic tanks for waste disposal.
Property owners affected by the conversion may have to pay large sums to connect to the system unless the city can secure outside financing.
The great effort to save Gemini Springs from an environmental disaster has the strength of the law, say citizens.
“There is no other possibility. This is a government mandate, ”said Carmen Rosamonda, manager of DeBary City.
The project area is mostly south of Highbanks Road, where, according to official information, septic tanks overload the groundwater with nitrogen.
“We are working on a strategy to connect 2,300 households,” said Rosamonda.
Not only DeBary has this problem
DeBary is not alone – many cities in West Volusia end up having to grapple with improving or removing septic tanks that are in focus areas near major sources.
West Volusia has three “Outstanding Florida Springs” designated – Blue, Gemini, and DeLeon.
DeLeon Springs is currently planning infrastructure improvements that will connect the sewers around DeLand to their business corridor.
Ultimately, by 2038, every sewer system around a specific source, in a focal area or not, will have to phase out older, traditional sewer systems and either replace them with newer, more expensive, improved aerobic systems or connect to a sewage treatment plant.
– Eli Witek
Orders from the state
The Florida Department of Environment has ordered the city and county to reduce the pollution of nitrogen that enters the wells in the years to come. The state agency says about 20,496 pounds of nitrogen from septic tanks and manure are now entering the wells each year, and the FDEP is calling for an annual reduction of at least 14,270 pounds.
Biologists warn that nitrogen promotes the growth and spread of algae and aquatic plants, which deprive water of oxygen and affect water quality.
DeBary has already passed an ordinance restricting the use of fertilizers. As a result, authorities are calling for action to be taken against the septic tanks believed to affect Gemini Springs.
Gemini Springs has been polluted for several years. Due to the high proportion of disease-causing bacteria, swimming in the springs has not been permitted since 1996.
TURFGRASS FERTILIZER IS THE TOP SOURCE – This map shows the area affected by the Gemini Springs Basin Management Action Plan. Most of this is Seminole County, but Gemini Springs is in Volusia County and the focus area that needs changes first is in DeBary. The PFA is indicated with an orange border.
The FDEP accuses septic tanks of adding large amounts of nitrogen to springs and is calling for at least 14,270 pounds of nitrogen to be reduced by 2038.
“We realize what an incredible job this is,” said Mike Ulrich, director of Volusia County’s utilities.
Two options for homeowners
The county is heavily involved in converting septic tanks to sewers as the county owns and operates the water and sewer systems within the DeBary city limits.
“This is a government mandate. You, the city and the county are on one side and … work together as a whole, ”said Ulrich DeBaryites at a public briefing on February 24th.
Ulrich said DeBary homeowners have two options:
One is to replace a traditional septic tank with an advanced system that reduces nitrogen levels in the soil. Installation prices for these aerobic treatment systems typically range from $ 12,500 to $ 17,500. There are recurring costs including electricity to run a pump and the cost of inspections.
The other option, said Rosamonda, is to “move to a central sewer system”.
“Central systems work,” said Ulrich.
However, the cost of such projects is not cheap. According to the county, the cost of building and connecting users to a sewer system ranges from $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 per home. Is it possible for DeBary and Volusia Counties to get grants from higher levels of government to help reduce these costs for individual homeowners?
“What we don’t know is the amount of government funding,” said Ulrich.
Ulrich added that the final amount each homeowner will be billed could be anywhere from $ 5,000 to $ 7,000, but those numbers could be higher.
The individual utility’s share of the cost of the sewer system would become a loan – and a lien – that could be paid over several years, with interest charged. The annual amount due appears as a special assessment for property tax invoices.
Rosamonda hopes for better.
“We would prefer the state to pay for everything as they should,” he said, noting that the demand is coming from Tallahassee.
“Our intention is to get the state of Florida to pay as much as possible,” added Rosamonda. “We’ll shoot 100 percent and see where we go.”
Rosamonda said he spoke with lawmakers about DeBary’s need for help to comply with the FDEP’s order.
NITROGEN POLLUTION – This pie chart shows that the biggest culprit for nitrogen pollution is actually fertilizer used on lawns (labeled “urban turf” on the wagon). DeBary has enacted an ordinance regulating fertilizer use, so the focus now is on septic tanks, the second – the largest nitrogen emitter in Gemini Springs according to the Florida Department of Environment. Controlling fertilizer use is a challenge for authorities as nitrogen-rich fertilizers are freely available to consumers and cities do not have staff to monitor their use.
Comparing the cost of the two choices prompted a DeBaryite to make a decision.
“Basically, I think a centralized sewer system is the way to go,” concluded James Morton after attending the public meeting.
There are many factors to consider when developing such a project. Although there are many questions about the number of houses, the distance from septic tanks to the springs, the size of the lots and density of neighborhoods, the terrain and the types of soil. Rosamonda noticed that time was running out to take the first steps.
“We have to submit a plan by June 30, 2021,” he said.
So far the system has yet to be designed.
“It can take a year or two to complete the engineering,” added Rosamonda.
Many DeBary neighborhoods are involved
The affected zone is known as the Priority Focus Area. In this zone, most of the nitrogen pollution is believed to end in Gemini Springs.
The focus area spans multiple neighborhoods in DeBary including Plantation Estates, Lake Maria Estates, DeBary Plantation, Surrey Run, St. Johns River Estates, Orlandia Heights, and Summerhaven.
The PFA is only part of the source for Gemini Springs. The spring is a kind of basin in which all water falling from the sky and all contaminants that land and seep away on the ground can get into the springs over time.
As surprising as it may seem, much of the source for Gemini Springs is in Seminole County.
– Al Everson
However, Ulrich said that actual construction of the system could begin in 2023. Ulrich said once the sewer service is available homeowners will need to connect.
Another DeBaryit who attended the meeting commented on the unanswered questions.
“They can’t tell you the scope, cost, or schedule,” said Leo Monahan.
Ulrich said the construction of the system will likely come in phases, starting with the houses closest to the sources and expanding outward.
Ulrich was unable to say what impact the DeBary sewage system could have on utilities as a whole after its completion. In other words, are the non-DeBary interest payers being tapped to pay some of the cost of capital?
“A very good question,” wrote Ulrich in an email response to an inquiry from The Beacon. “Most would agree that current tariff payers shouldn’t bear the cost of building new infrastructure. On the other hand, utilities also need to be environmentally responsible for the benefit of the entire community that the utility serves. So, from a practical point of view, the utility can be expected to make some investment based on the revenue generated from new customers. “
Even so, the city guides say they will obey the order from above.
“This is not a project where we have a choice. We have to move forward,” said Mayor Karen Chasez.
Will we be able to swim?
Once a sewer system is up and running, Volusia County’s utility director Mike Ulrich couldn’t guarantee that Gemini Springs would be a safe place to cool off again on a hot day.
Advanced septic tanks and / or a central sewer, he wrote, “will significantly reduce nitrate pollutants and restore environmental water quality. [but] It’s hard to say whether these improvements alone will completely reduce the bacteria required to promote public swimming. “
– Al Everson
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