Photos for Headline Surfer / Lake Beresford near DeLand is an exco-tourism destination.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DELAND, Fla. -- A storm runoff project to improve water quality in Lake Beresford just west of DeLand is continuing to move forward, Volusia County officials say.
Last year, the county purchased property for the project along the northwest edge of the lake that feeds into the St. Johns River and also hired an engineering firm to design a system to filter out impurities from the stormwater before it’s discharged into the lake.
The County Council on Tuesday accepted a $278,500 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to help pay for construction of the project. The total cost is estimated at $557,000, with the county’s $278,500 share coming from its stormwater utility fund.
The project has been in the planning stages for several years and moved closer to fruition in 2019 when the county bought three vacant parcels – two along the north side of Palm Drive and another across Lakeside Drive fronting the lake.
The project has been in the planning stages for several years and moved closer to fruition in 2019 when the county bought three vacant parcels – two along the north side of Palm Drive and another across Lakeside Drive fronting the lake.
A 2017 St. Johns River stormwater outfall assessment study that the county commissioned identified the area as a prime location for a stormwater retention and treatment project to help improve water quality in Lake Beresford.
"That’s because rain water from the area can pick up impurities such as fertilizer, pesticides and oil as it rushes across streets, lawns and driveways and then travels through a combination of storm pipes and swales on its way to the lake," county spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer.
"The new treatment system will help filter out more pollutants by diverting the stormwater runoff into a wet detention pond and then through an additional treatment system before being discharged into the lake," Davidson added.
The purpose of the 2017 study was to assess the various stormwater outfalls that discharge into the St. Johns River and identify potential options for treatment to reduce pollutant loads.
The design work on the Lake Beresford project has been completed and the construction contract is currently out for bid.
Once built, the new stormwater treatment facility is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 211 pounds of total nitrogen and 35 pounds of total phosphorus per year that ends up in the lake.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.