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Comprehensive Plan <br />TREATMENT <br />Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element <br />In addition to septic tank systems, public and private treatment plants provide wastewater <br />treatment within the county. In Indian River County, large regional public treatment plants now <br />predominate. Consequently, major treatment issues in the county relate primarily to ensuring <br />sufficient capacity (either on-site or off-site) to accommodate projected growth. <br />If wastewater demand were allowed to exceed the county's treatment capacity, untreated sewage <br />would have to be discharged. That would result in health hazards and environmental degradation <br />of surface water bodies. To prevent such an occurrence, the county must continue its policy of <br />approving new development only when sufficient capacity will be available. In this regard, the <br />county's computerized concurrency management system and its capital improvements plan <br />ensure that capacity will be available to serve new development concurrent with demand. <br />Public Treatment Plants <br />Besides producing high quality effluent, all public treatment plants currently have more than <br />enough capacity to accommodate existing demand. The following sections discuss the county's <br />future wastewater treatment needs and alternatives to meet those needs. <br />Projection of Future Demand <br />Assumptions <br />The comprehensive planning process is an opportunity for the county to complete an assessment <br />of its long range sanitary sewer needs. Such a needs assessment must consist of an analysis that <br />is more than a straight line linear projection. Future projections should utilize certain <br />assumptions based on past trends, present conditions, and future desires. The main assumptions <br />utilized in the sanitary sewer needs assessment are as follows: <br />• The county will be the primary provider of sanitary sewer collection, treatment, and <br />disposal; <br />• The City of Vero Beach will continue to serve the City of Vero Beach, the Town of <br />Indian River Shores and a portion of the unincorporated county; and <br />• 90% to 95% of future new development will connect to the regional sewer system. <br />The county will continue to maintain these policies and evaluate the feasibility of regional <br />system versus package treatment plants for the above referenced type of developments. <br />Community Development Department Indian River County 31 <br />