Deltona has taken steps to end a water conservation project after work crews discovered an underground spring.

On August 5, the city commission approved a settlement with the St. Johns River Water Management District that would rescind the original grant plan. Deltona will be required to “repay a portion of the grant it received,” according to Glenn Whitcomb, public works director.

Deltona and the water district had agreed to take surface water from Lake Monroe and pipe it north to a proposed facility where it would be treated and discharged into the aquifer. The lake water would be taken at a point along LakeShore Drive in front of the old Deltona Community Center and piped to a point along Alexander Avenue where it would be treated and discharged into the ground. The treated lake water would then be discharged into the ground to replace groundwater drawn from municipal wells for treatment and drinking use.

Known as the “straw project,” the venture was short-lived due to natural conditions unknown at the time of planning and beyond the city’s control. The straw project was supported by the Water Management District, which regulates withdrawals from the aquifer and issues licenses, called consumption permits, to public and private utilities to treat, sell and distribute water to those utilities’ customers.

What seemed like a reasonable attempt to recharge the aquifer and ensure a steady flow of water in Blue Spring had to be abandoned when work crews encountered an underground spring that would not stop bubbling.

“In April 2022, construction crews discovered ‘artesian well boulders’ and elevated groundwater pressure conditions below the surface at the project site,” the settlement agreement states.

“The recipient has suspended construction on the project because increased water pressure made it difficult to drain the site and made it difficult to provide a safe, stable area for construction crews during excavation,” the document continues.

While the work was being carried out, city officials closed the boat dock next to where the water would be taken. The boat dock remains closed and there is no set date for when it will reopen to the public.

The straw project’s original estimated cost — before problems came to light and it was canceled — was $10.8 million. Deltona received about $1.3 million from the state agency. The settlement ratified by the city commission calls for Deltona to pay the water district a total of $598,340.66. The city’s payment will be made in two installments of $298,170.33 each. The first installment is due Oct. 15, and the second on the same date next year, 2025.

Interestingly, Vice Mayor Jody Lee Storozuk has said the city spent about $6.5 million on the project and he wants to know more about the fiasco.

“I want someone to be held accountable,” he said The lighthouse.

Storozuk also said the city’s insurance carrier is trying to recover Deltona’s expenses for the straw project.

Whitcomb pointed out that the city purchased materials to build the straw project and that these unused items, particularly pipes, could be saved and used for other tasks, such as improving drainage in the Lake Theresa Basin.

The City Commission approved the agreement with SJRWMD by a vote of 6-0.

As for the unfinished construction site along LakeShore Drive, Whitcomb said it will be rehabilitated, but the cost is not yet known.

“We will apply for government funding,” he added.

The pipes and sheet piles laid in the lake will be removed before the jetty is reopened to boaters.

“We are thinking about opening the dock and maybe setting up a few other docks,” Whitcomb said.

When that will happen is not yet clear, as the city government has not yet set a date for hiring a consultant and soliciting bids from contractors willing to remove the remnants of the ill-fated megaproject.