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Comprehensive Plan Conservation Element county, these recharge areas in the County contribute less than two inches annually. Prime aquifer recharge areas of the Floridan aquifer are located northwest of Indian River County. For wells tapping the Floridan aquifer, the estimated yield averages approximately 650 gallons per minute (GPM). Except for the Sebastian Freshwater Lens, the water quality of the Floridan aquifer throughout most of the County is characterized by concentrations of chlorides and total suspended solids (TSS) in excess of FDEP standards for drinking water. As such, water must be treated before it is considered fit for human consumption. The preferred method of treatment in Indian River County is Reverse Osmosis (RO). A detailed discussion of the RO treatment process and the County's water treatment facilities is presented in the Potable Water Sub -Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The Sebastian Freshwater Lens is a naturally occurring pocket ofpotable water. This pocket extends from Floridana Beach in southern Brevard County to Wabasso Beach in the east central portion of Indian River County. Due to increased human consumption and irrigation, the areal extent of this pocket has experienced an ongoing decline. The largest ongoing decrease in the potentiometric surface has been documented in the Wabasso Beach area. This is cause for concern, since this water cannot be replenished. Throughout the county, discharges from the Floridan aquifer occur from abandoned flow wells. Since these discharges cause various detrimental effects, there is an emphasis on plugging abandoned flow wells and eliminating Floridan aquifer discharges. Plugging abandoned flow wells contributes to water conservation, reduces chloride contamination of the surficial aquifer, and in some cases reduces freshwater discharges to the IRL. Since 1989, Indian River County and the SJRWMD have jointly sponsored a cost -share program to plug or repair abandoned flow wells. During that time, over 375 abandoned flow wells have been plugged or repaired, saving millions of gallons per day in groundwater. Water Use Water use in Indian River County can be classified into the following categories: public supply, domestic self -supply (private residential wells), commercial/industrial self -supply, recreation, and agricultural irrigation. In 2005, ±95.81 million gallons per day (MGD) of groundwater were consumed in Indian River County. Of that amount, 18.44 million gallons, or 19.3% of total daily groundwater consumption, were consumed domestically, while 0.56 million gallons per day, or 0.5% of total daily groundwater consumption, were used in commercial/industrial applications. A total of 2.58 million gallons per day, or 2.7% of total daily groundwater consumption, was used for recreation. The 2005 breakdown of daily water consumption in Indian River County is as follows: Community Development Department Indian River County 30