Deltona advances aquifer recharge and restoration project following four-year geotechnical delay

Deltona advances aquifer recharge and restoration project following four-year geotechnical delayThe Florida municipality is poised to award a new construction contract to repair artesian boils and install piping that will deliver surface water from Lake Monroe to a rapid infiltration basin.

Project 4B was halted in May 2022 after artesian boils appeared during excavation, requiring extensive geotechnical replanning with the St. Johns Water Management District.

The city received four qualified bids on July 9, 2026, following a failed procurement round in March where the low bidder withdrew and calculation errors were found in other submissions.

The 6-to-9-month construction phase will install piping to move surface water to the city's RIB site for aquifer recharge, while also restoring the Lakeshore boat ramp and seawall.

The City of Deltona, Florida, is preparing to restart construction on a critical water infrastructure and environmental restoration initiative, known as Project 4B, after a four-year delay caused by unforeseen geological challenges. The project originally broke ground in May 2022 but was immediately halted when artesian boils appeared during initial excavation. The environmental sensitivity of the site required the city to pause work and collaborate with the St. Johns Water Management District, engineering firm Mead Hunt, and various contractors to develop a comprehensive geotechnical and geological restoration plan. During a July 20, 2026, meeting, City Manager Dougherty provided an update on the project's procurement progress. An initial attempt to bid the restoration plan in March 2026 was scrapped after the lowest bidder withdrew due to missed scope requirements, and procurement staff discovered calculation errors in the remaining submissions. Following the rejection of all initial bids, the city's utilities department and engineers revised the solicitation. The updated bid package incorporated further technical details regarding the geotechnical plan and added specifications for piping infrastructure. This piping is a core component of the project's long-term water management goal: transferring surface water from Lake Monroe to a Rapid Infiltration Basin (RIB) site to provide clean water to recharge the local aquifer. The City Manager noted that local lakes have been slowly draining, making the aquifer recharge project a priority. The revised 60-day advertisement period yielded four qualified bids on July 9, 2026. According to the City Manager, the new lowest bid came in lower than the lowest bid from the earlier, failed procurement round. The Deltona City Commission is scheduled to vote on awarding the contract on August 3, 2026. If approved, a preconstruction meeting will be held later that week. The restoration and construction work, which will also replace an aging seawall, docks, and the Lakeshore boat ramp, is expected to take six to nine months to complete following the notice to proceed.