- April 8, 2026
Should Ormond Beach put a "toilet to tap" ban on the 2026 ballot for voters to decide? Some city commissioners say yes. Others still want some more information.
Commissioners revisited the discussion at their meeting on Tuesday, April 7, after Commissioner Harold Briley brought it up during his closing comments. They had briefly discussed "toilet to tap" — a term used to describe the initiative to reuse wastewater for potable water — during their last commission meeting in March, but due to the public hearing on the Tomoka Oaks golf course, it was around midnight when staff was able to conduct a presentation. Due to the late hour, commissioners declined to make a final decision and directed staff to bring back information on ways to regulate "toilet to tap" and a possible charter amendment.
The City Commission will have a workshop on the issue on Tuesday, May 5.
"I think this is a matter of policy," Briley said. "I know we say all the time that Tallahassee has a huge overreach and they can undo what we do. But if we put this on the ballot ... and then Tallahassee comes in and says, 'We want to do that,' then they're going against the will of the people."
Commissioner Travis Sargent agreed, but wanted further specific details, like the cost to place a charter amendment on the November ballot. He wasn't willing to "rush" a vote on a ballot measure, he said, but that he was willing to let the voters make a policy decision.
"There's things that I need to know before I make a decision to go any further," Sargent said. "I don't have enough to just say now, 'Yes, we need to throw it on the ballot.'"
The cities of Daytona Beach and Edgewater have recently voted in favor of placing a charter amendment to ban "toilet to tap" in the 2026 ballot. In February, the Volusia County Council struck down the issue in a 4-3 vote, with officials saying it wasn't a local problem, as the county has no current or future plans to recycle wastewater into drinking water.
The county's ban would have only applied to its utility service area, which is largely composed of unincorporated land. To enact a countywide ban, each city in Volusia County that has its own utilities would have to place its own charter amendment on the ballot — and the voters would have to approve it.
The "toilet to tap" issue resurfaced this year after advocacy from local political committee, Let Volusia Vote, which is led by Daytona Beach resident Greg Gimbert. Some critics of the initiative say the committee is using fear to drive a politically motivated effort.
"They are manufacturing fear around the potential future water source, potable reuse, often sensationalized as 'toilet to tap' by using clickbait language like poopy water to provoke an emotional reaction," Daytona Beach resident Catherine Pante said at the April 7 commission meeting. "At the same time, they are promoting their own alternative, desalination ... which is in reality another form of treated wastewater. The key difference? Desalination will drive water costs significantly higher than potable reuse if we ever need to rely on alternative sources."
Pante said she didn't oppose either method, but that the push to ban 'toilet to tap' was built on misinformation.
Speaking in favor of a charter amendment, Ormond Beach resident Elena Krafft said that all the committee is seeking is to let residents have a vote on the issue.
"When government begins considering a new source of drinking water, whether you agree with it or not, that decision deserves the highest level of transparency, scrutiny and public involvement," Krafft said. "It's as simple as that."
Before making a decision, Commissioner Lori Tolland said she wanted to know more about the science behind "toilet to tap" and water reuse alternatives.
Commissioners also highlighted that Ormond is not in any immediate danger of running out of water. Additionally, the city continues to look into purchasing land west of I-95 to increase its reclaim water storage capacity.
"I feel like we're trying to create a policy for a problem that we may not even have," Tolland said. "I feel like we're trying to find a solution for a problem we don't have. I would prefer to workshop it."
Briley said that other cities across the state are already either implementing wastewater reuse or looking into it, and that he didn't want it to be an issue a future commission may choose to explore. If it's on the charter, the people would have to vote to change it.
"Let the people decide," Mayor Jason Leslie agreed.
