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Comprehensive Plan Potable Water Sub-Element Community Development Department Indian River County 18 ANALYSIS This analysis section addresses future potable water demand and focuses on the three components of the potable water system. Those are: water sources (supply), treatment, and distribution. PROJECTION OF FUTURE DEMAND Assumptions The comprehensive planning process is an opportunity for the county to complete an assessment of its long range potable water needs. Any such projection of future potable water needs, however, must be more than a simple linear projection. Instead, future projections should utilize certain assumptions based on past trends, present conditions, and future desires. The principal assumptions utilized in this section are as follows: • The county will be the primary provider of potable water service to the unincorporated county, the City of Sebastian, and the Town of Orchid; • The City of Vero Beach will continue to serve the City of Vero Beach, the Town of Indian River Shores and a portion of the unincorporated county; and • More than 95% of future new developments will connect to the regional potable water system. Methodology Table 3.B.2 in the existing conditions section of this sub-element identifies the existing capacity of publicly owned water treatment plants. That section of this sub-element addresses the supply side of the potable water system. This section considers the demand side. The information for this section is based on the permanent and functional population projections contained in the Introductory Element and on the projected land use patterns contained in the Future Land Use Element. These projections are also consistent with the county utilities master plan, including its December 2004 update. To develop these projections, the county used data such as historic growth, population projections, number and type of dwelling units, and developed commercial/industrial acreage. Overall, planning for water plant expansions requires a rational approach to projecting growth over a finite planning period. Past experience has shown that using the historic growth of existing facilities in conjunction with population projections is the most accurate method of projecting potable water demand and future water plant expansion needs.