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Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
February 6, 2013
Plantation Bay utilities purchase approved
Author: Julie Murphy; STAFF WRITER
BUNNELL — Utilities serving Plantation Bay are beyond old.
In fact, it wouldn't take much of a failure to leave residents unable to flush their toilets or pour
themselves a glass of water, according to independent engineers who examined the system on
behalf of Flagler County and the city of Bunnell.
"We are going to have a defunct system. I'm not comfortable with this at all," Flagler County
Commissioner George Hanns said at Wednesday's workshop on the utility's possible purchase.
"And, you are still recommending that we go forward. You are going to need a sledgehammer to
convince me."
The utilities system was built 28 years ago, said engineers from Wade Trim. And capital
reinvestment to maintain equipment with a 20-year life expectancy hasn't been done.
Armando Martinez, Bunnell city manager, said he and Flagler County Administrator Craig
Coffey are now fully aware the system is deficient but are keen on ensuring that residents there
have quality drinking water and a working sewage system.
Engineer Clayton McCormick said the Department of Environmental Protection issued a fouryear
administrative order, that ended in 2010, because there were, and are issues with suspended
solids in wastewater, no continuous monitoring as required, and the system is unreliable. That
order was extended until 2012, but because the work wasn't done to correct the issues a consent
order was issued and fines could be forthcoming.
The big problem is a lack of redundancy, McCormick said.
"There's only one tank," he said, referring to the wastewater side of the utilities. "There's no way
to get in and clean it."
County Commissioner Frank Meeker, who works for the St. Johns River Water Management
District, asked whether dual redundancy is needed on the water side as well.
"It's not required," McCormick said, "but as a good engineer, I would want to have it."
It would be close to impossible to shut down and repair the facility if it were to fail, Coffey said.
"It wouldn't be pretty," McCormick said.
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