DeLand water bills rose 8% on Oct. 1, with four more increases scheduled through 2030

Flagpoles outside DeLand City Hall on South Florida Avenue in DeLand, Florida, in a June 2019 file photo used for location context. Photo: DanTD / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

DeLand utility customers started paying more last Thursday. An 8% increase on water and wastewater usage rates took effect Oct. 1, the first step in a five-year plan the City Commission approved unanimously on Sept. 21, according to WKMG News 6.

The city estimates a household using 5,000 gallons a month will see its monthly bill rise from $85.51 to $115.99 by 2031, roughly $30.48 more. Over that stretch the combined cost of water and sewer service goes from about 1.8 cents to 2.3 cents per gallon. DeLand also plans to drop its monthly account-maintenance fee and replace it with a monthly base charge.

DeLand usage-rate increases by year

1. Oct. 1, 2026

   8%

2. Oct. 1, 2027

   8%

3. Oct. 1, 2028

   6%

4. Oct. 1, 2029

   6%

5. Oct. 1, 2030

   4%

Source: clickorlando.com

What the increases pay for

A July study by engineering firm McKim & Creed found PFAS "forever chemicals" above the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking-water standards at several city facilities. The study recommended a PFAS-selective ion-exchange system at six water-treatment plants, estimated at about $59 million to build plus about $20.1 million in operating and maintenance costs over 20 years.

The two accounts give different compliance deadlines. WKMG's Oct. 1 report says the city must meet the EPA's PFAS requirements by April 2029; a city statement quoted in September said the new federal standards are required by 2031.

Beyond PFAS, a separate study by consultant GovRates identified about $250 million in improvements needed through 2032, including expanding treatment capacity from 6 million to 8 million gallons per day. The system serves more than 27,000 retail and wholesale customers over about 99 square miles of West Volusia, with 19 active groundwater wells, 11 treatment plants and pipes dating to the 1920s.

Why it was phased

Assistant City Manager Mike Grebosz said the gradual increases are meant to help DeLand qualify for affordable financing, pay existing debt and avoid a larger sudden jump later. The utility runs as an enterprise fund, so customer fees — not property taxes — primarily cover operations and improvements.

The September proposal also called for raising one-time connection fees for new development by roughly $4,000 for water service. Those charges fall on new construction and are separate from the monthly bills existing customers pay.