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Comprehensive Plan Potable Water Sub-Element <br /> <br /> <br />Community Development Department Indian River County 30 <br />In the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of potable water customers in <br />the county and also a significant increase in per capita water usage. From 1995 to 2006, per <br />capita/per day potable water use rose 40%. This could be due to any number of reasons. One such <br />reason could be an increase in the number of homes, subdivisions, and commercial developments <br />using potable water for irrigation purposes. According to the county utilities department, at least 50% <br />of all water usage is attributed to irrigation. Another reason could be the increase in the number of <br />residential units with swimming pools. Also, the increase in water usage may be attributed to an <br />increase in the number of commercial and industrial users in the county since 1995. <br /> <br />Currently, the county’s potable water system meets all federal and state regulations for safe drinking <br />water. To ensure that safe drinking water standards are maintained, the county performs regular <br />testing of drinking water. <br /> <br />Although the county operated potable water system consistently provides clean safe potable water, <br />there are some problems with private franchised water treatment plants and private wells. Generally, <br />these problems relate to the quality of raw water and the efficiency of the water treatment process. <br />Those problems are summarized as follows: <br /> <br />• lower quality of treatment compared to regional water treatment plants and higher <br />risk of groundwater contamination <br /> <br />• lack of funds and interest on the part of private plant owners to upgrade, maintain, <br />and retrofit facilities <br /> <br />• age of treatment plants and frequent breakdowns <br /> <br />• lack of centralized control <br /> <br />• cost and insufficiency of the monitoring process <br /> <br />• problems with operation and maintenance (lack of experienced personnel to operate <br />all the private plants) <br /> <br />Brine Discharge <br /> <br />At present, the County Utilities Department is implementing the Spoonbill Marsh initiative, an <br />innovative project that will treat brine from the North County RO plant in a coastal marsh system and <br />reduce impacts on the lagoon. This project is being undertaken because FDEP would not renew the <br />county’s permit to discharge brine directly into the lagoon. Although brine from the North County <br />water plant will soon be treated in a coastal marsh system, brine from the south county RO plant will <br />continue to be discharged into the south relief canal. The county is presently exploring alternatives, <br />including mixing concentrate with stormwater and reclaimed water for irrigation, for disposing