- March 24, 2026
Daytona Beach has approved a proposed charter amendment for the upcoming general election that would ban injecting toilet to tap water in the city’s utilities, pending voter approval.
The amendment would specifically prohibit using reclaimed blackwater — recycled and treated wastewater — as a direct source of potable water by either injection into the aquifer or introducing it into the city’s potable water system. The Daytona Beach City Commission approved the measure unanimously at its March 18 meeting.
Though the commissioners themselves did not debate and quickly approved it, several residents in attendance praised the commission's actions.
"You're asserting your rights, you're reserving your protections, and you're making it known that there is a line in the sand that we will not cross," resident Greg Gimbert said.
Charter amendments must be approved by a majority referendum of city residents, and it will be voted on in the Nov. 3 general election. If approved by voters, the commission will have to adopt a subsequent ordinance to amend the city’s charter
If it is approved by voters, the ban would immediately go into effect.
Residents in attendance at the meeting supported the commission’s decision to ban blackwater, with resident Rich Yost calling the decision “historic.” The citizens, Yost said, have a right to say they want “good, clean drinking water for our children, our grandchildren.”
“This commission tonight has a, I dare say, historic opportunity to be the leader in Volusia County and perhaps even the state,” Yost said, “by declaring that the people, my fellow citizens, have the right to vote for our future.”
The Volusia County Council rejected a similar ban in February that would have prohibited recycled wastewater from being injected into the aquifer.
But some residents advocated caution before putting a ban in place. Resident Catherine Pante said the city should wait to prohibit blackwater until the city’s engineering consultant completes a study for the city’s options to comply with state regulations.
“I’m not saying don’t ban this,” she said. “I’m saying push pause.”
Daytona Beach is under a state-implemented deadline to eliminate non-beneficial surface water discharges by 2032, and the city discharges 8.41 million gallons per day into Halifax River.
To meet those state standards, the city will need to find another use for the reclaimed water, and some of the programs are cost-prohibitive.
At the March 5 Commission meeting, Daytona Beach’s Deputy Utilities Director Eric Smith said the ordinance would ban three programs that would help Daytona Beach meet those requirements.
“What we want to make clear is that if one of those options is found to be cost effective,” Smith said on March 5, “eliminating it through this ordinance could lead to the need for a rate increase in the future if a less cost-effective option is chosen.”
