Daytona Beach advances referendum to ban potable reuse of reclaimed blackwater

Daytona Beach advances referendum to ban potable reuse of reclaimed blackwaterThe Daytona Beach City Commission has unanimously approved an ordinance sending a charter amendment to the ballot, giving voters the final say on prohibiting the introduction of reclaimed blackwater into the city's potable water system.

The City Commission voted 7-0 to advance a charter amendment prohibiting the water utility from using reclaimed blackwater for underground aquifer injection or direct introduction into the potable water system.

The approval of the ordinance on its second reading places the final decision in the hands of residents via a future public referendum.

Proponents of the ban framed it as a necessary local defense against state legislative overreach and unchecked development.

One resident opposed the immediate ban, urging the commission to wait for an ongoing engineering consultant study detailing compliance options, costs, and risks before ruling out future water sources.

Public commenters also urged the city to prioritize the immediate removal of PFAS "forever chemicals" from current tap water over debates about future reuse.

The Daytona Beach City Commission voted 7-0 on March 18, 2026, to approve an ordinance proposing a charter amendment that would strictly prohibit the city's water utility from utilizing reclaimed blackwater for potable reuse. The measure specifically targets preventing the use of reclaimed blackwater as a direct source for either underground injection wells into the aquifer or introduction into the city's potable public water system. Following the unanimous approval on its second reading, the ordinance will advance to a public referendum, allowing residents to vote on the charter amendment at the ballot box. The public hearing drew significant resident input, reflecting broader regional tensions over water resources, growth management, and state legislative mandates. Several residents framed the ban as a necessary defense against unchecked development and state overreach, referencing Tallahassee's recent legislative actions. Greg Gimbert, a resident who spoke in favor of the ban, categorized the commission's vote as a critical assertion of local rights. "The only thing you have left to have any reasonable limit on growth is to turn off the sewage water," Gimbert told the commission. However, the push to preemptively ban potable reuse faced some pushback. Resident Catherine Panto asked the commission to pause the ban until an engineering consultant completes a comprehensive study on the city's options for complying with state mandates. Panto argued that a permanent policy decision is premature without full information on timelines, costs, and risk comparisons. Panto also directed the commission's attention to immediate water quality concerns, presenting independent water test results from January 2026 that she stated confirmed the presence of PFAS in local tap water. She urged the city to prioritize the removal of these carcinogenic "forever chemicals" rather than focusing resources on preemptively ruling out future alternative water sources, noting that the neighboring city of Ormond Beach currently utilizes reverse osmosis to remove PFAS. Despite the request for a delay pending the consultant's report, commissioners clarified that their approval simply allows the public to vote on the prohibition, before swiftly passing the ordinance unanimously.