Monitor Editor
GREEN COVE SPRINGS— Clay County Utility Authority Executive Director Jeremy Johnston told Clay County Commissioners during their Jan. 11 meeting that water demand today is 3.26% less than what it was in 2008-2009.
“That’s very impressive,” he told commissioners, “when you start thinking that we (now) have 9,500 additional accounts on our system. That’s over 26,000 additional people on our system.”
Johnston credited the utility’s tiered rate structure and water conservation efforts for the decrease in water use.
He told commissioners the utility is undergoing a strategic plan review. He added that Phase 1 of the plan, an overview, will be presented to the utility’s board of supervisors in February.
Johnston said three critical components of CCUA’s strategic plan are workforce development, integrated water resource management and the utility’s rate structure.
Workforce development
Johnston said finding and retaining licensed wastewater operators is becoming increasingly difficult.
“What’s unique about the utility industry currently is there are far more people retiring and leaving those trades and professions than what’s coming into it,” he said. “On top of that, because we’re a professional or an essential service, competition amongst utilities and municipalities is very, very high, driving up compensation for those licensed operators and those licensed professions.”
Johnston said the utility just overhauled its compensation plan, particularly for licensed wastewater operators.
He added that the utility hopes to find and retain workers with internships with Clay County Public Schools, multiple career paths and training and incentive programs.
Water resource planning
Johnston said CCUA’s water resource plans are also a challenge, noting that the utility is forecasting a 100% increase in customers over the next 20 to 25 years.
“Our growth in population means that diversification of water resources for water supply is going to be key for long-term success,” he said.
Johnston said that in addition to maintaining the utility’s success in conservation, CCUA is also exploring wells into the lower Floridan Aquifer, a stormwater harvesting program along the First Coast Expressway and a potable, reclaimed pilot project.
‘We have selected an ozone, biologically-activated carbon filter system,” he said of the utility’s pilot project to convert wastewater into a potable product. “This is important because this type of system does not create a brine as part of the treatment process. The reverse osmosis systems that are your typical highly-treated systems create a brine and as an inland county, Clay County doesn’t have a real feasible way to address the brine byproduct.”
Rate structure
Johnston said the utility will soon undergo a rate study. The research will evaluate CCUA’s base rates, capacity fees and user fees.
“The output will be recommendations for a long-term plan of how we fund and pay for capital expenditures, any potential changes in regulations and how we finance all of this long term,” he said.
Johnston added that he is sensitive to the concerns CCUA customers have about rising rates.
“I’m a rate payer,” he said, adding that his family gets a monthly bill from CCUA just like everyone else does.
“We want to be sensitive to that,” he said, “because it does have an impact on our community, and we want to be economically competitive for the growth that’s coming.”
Johnston said that the average CCUA account consumes 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water a month. He added that for that range, CCUA’s rates are now the lowest in the area.
