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Groundwater Program
Notice: Effective January 1, 2003, well and irrigation permitting will be handled by the Health Department's environmental health division.
(386) 822-6240 DeLand
274-0692 Daytona Beach
424-2061 New Smyrna BeachThe source of freshwater in Volusia County is obtained from the Floridan Aquifer which underlies the State of Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. It is considered one of the most productive aquifers in the world.
Volusia County is in a unique situation concerning this aquifer. Due to subsurface geology, reservoir properties and water recharge conditions, non-potable saltwater occupies the aquifer below the outer limits of the county. This includes the Atlantic Ocean to the east, relic seawater in the St Johns River valley to the west and south, and structure, reservoir and recharge conditions to the north. The Floridan Aquifer beneath Volusia County is, therefore, comparable to a freshwater bubble surrounded by saltwater. The thickness of the freshwater at the interior of the county is approximately 1,200 ft. and the thickness of freshwater around the edges of the county is 0 ft.
The mission of the Groundwater Program is to protect this freshwater resource from pollution and overuse. Citizens can help protect our valuable groundwater supply through good water conservation practices both inside and outside the home. There is also an obligation to prevent pollution to the groundwater supply. Working together, we can protect our aquifer by strongly practicing and encouraging water conservation measures.
The Groundwater Manager serves on the Volusian Water Alliance Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The committee advises the Alliance Board on a variety of technical subjects. The Alliance’s prime function is to serve as a forum by which member municipalities and utilities through interlocal cooperation can address critical regional issues such as groundwater resources, groundwater demand, groundwater strategies, comprehensive planning, and water conservation.
Staff from the Groundwater Program perform monthly water level measurements in a network of 59 wells throughout the County (Figure 1). This data, along with data collected by the St. Johns River Water Management District are used to develop a monthly hydrologic report. The District and the Volusian Water Alliance base part of their respective water conservation policies and regulations on this data. The Groundwater Program is responsible for presenting the Alliance with a monthly hydrologic report which includes monitoring well observations, updated rainfall totals for Daytona Beach and DeLand, and flows from Blue Springs and DeLeon Springs. Data from the well network is also used by the USGS to generate bi-annual potentiometric maps of the District.
The Groundwater Manager serves as secretary of the Volusia County Chapter of the Florida Irrigation Society (FIS). The FIS' purpose is to promote sound irrigation practices consistent with public interest. Membership is comprised of commercial, residential and agricultural contractors, registered architects, registered engineers, manufacturers, distributors, and educators.
The staff is always willing to answer questions or consider comments concerning the Groundwater Program.
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