Raising the Bar for Water Quality in Winter Springs: A Tuscawilla-Focused Call to Action
As your City Commissioner, I’ve made water—drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater—a cornerstone of my service since my election in 2022. Living in the heart of the Lake Jesup basin, with the Tri-County water system’s canals and streams flowing through our city, we have a unique responsibility to protect our water resources. In Tuscawilla, home to the Tuscawilla Country Club and near the Winter Springs West Wastewater Treatment Plant, we see firsthand the challenges of maintaining clean water amidst golf course runoff and aging infrastructure.
While our latest 2024 Water Quality Report confirms that Winter Springs’ drinking water meets all state and federal regulations, compliance is just the starting point. We must advocate for higher standards, better maintenance practices, greater accountability, and safer water for our community. Today, I’m sharing why this matters, what’s at stake, and how we can work together to ensure a healthier future for Tuscawilla and beyond.
Why Water Matters in Tuscawilla
Winter Springs sits in a delicate ecosystem. Our drinking water comes from the Upper Floridan Aquifer, a deep source (100–500 feet) that’s safer than shallow wells but not immune to contamination. The Tuscawilla Country Club, a beloved community landmark since 1971, uses fertilizers and pesticides that can leach through our sandy Myakka and Immokalee soils into groundwater or nearby ponds, which connect to Lake Jesup.
The Winter Springs West Wastewater Treatment Plant, operating for nearly 50 years off Winter Springs Blvd., produces reclaimed water for irrigation but has faced maintenance challenges, raising concerns about potential spills of nitrates, pathogens, or pharmaceuticals. These issues hit close to home in Tuscawilla, where homes in Country Club Village, Greens at Tuscawilla, and Tuskawilla Crossings are near these facilities.
The Lake Jesup basin, one of Florida’s most nutrient-impaired watersheds, receives runoff from our city’s ponds, creeks, and canals, part of the Tri-County system linking Seminole, Orange, and Volusia counties. Algae blooms and fish kills, like those addressed in the 1994 Lake Jesup Act, remind us of the stakes. Our 96 stormwater ponds, including those in Deer Run and Tuskawilla Crossings, are critical for managing runoff, but failures like the 2023 Tuskawilla Crossings pond collapse ($1.5 million repair) show we’re not doing enough.
As your Commissioner, I believe we can’t settle for “good enough” when our health, environment, and quality of life are on the line.
The Current State: Compliant, But Not Complacent
I’m pleased to share that our 2024 Water Quality Report confirms Winter Springs’ drinking water meets all EPA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) standards, with no violations for contaminants like nitrates (EPA limit: 10 mg/L) or pathogens. Our three water treatment plants use aeration and chlorination to ensure safety, and we’ve upgraded Water Treatment Plant No. 1 to increase capacity by 30% and reduce chlorine use by 60%. These are wins worth celebrating.
However, compliance doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. The Winter Springs West Wastewater Treatment Plant has faced serious issues. A January 2025 FDEP warning letter cited violations for excessive suspended solids, fecal coliform, and nitrates, posing risks to reclaimed water used for irrigation in Tuscawilla (e.g., along Tuscora Drive) and potentially our groundwater. These follow a 2022 sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) of 750 gallons at the East plant and 2021 fecal coliform violations, signaling systemic maintenance problems across our aging wastewater facilities.
The Tuscawilla Country Club, while not recently cited for spills, applies chemicals that can leach into the surficial aquifer (10–50 feet) or the Upper Floridan Aquifer via karst fractures in our limestone bedrock, especially during heavy rains or irrigation.
Stormwater is another weak link. The 2023 Tuskawilla Crossings pond failure sent runoff into wetlands, highlighting deferred maintenance and poor design from past development. Our 96 ponds, now serviced by SOLitude Lake Management, need consistent upkeep to prevent flooding and nutrient pollution in Lake Jesup. These challenges, combined with our high-recharge sandy soils, mean contaminants could reach our drinking water source in years to decades—not the 100 years some claim.
A Call for Higher Standards and Accountability
Meeting minimum regulations isn’t enough for Tuscawilla. We need a proactive vision for safer water that protects our health and environment. Here’s what I’m advocating for:
1. Higher Water Quality Standards:
- Push for stricter local limits on nitrates and pesticides in drinking and reclaimed water, beyond EPA/FDEP minimums, to safeguard our Floridan Aquifer.
- Monitor emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals from wastewater, which current regulations don’t fully address. The FDEP’s 2025 PFAS monitoring mandate is a start, but we should lead, not follow.
- Enhance taste and smell of our drinking water, as outlined in our 2024 Penny Sales Tax projects, to ensure it’s not just safe but pleasant.
2. Improved Maintenance Practices:
- Accelerate upgrades to the West Wastewater Treatment Plant under the Water Works program, replacing 50-year-old infrastructure to prevent spills like the 2022 SSO.
- Enforce regular maintenance of our 96 stormwater ponds, learning from the Tuskawilla Crossings failure. Our million-dollar stormwater study must prioritize retrofits for pre-1984 neighborhoods like parts of Tuscawilla.
- Partner with the Tuscawilla Country Club to adopt slow-release fertilizers and no-spray zones near ponds, reducing chemical leaching.
3. Greater Accountability:
- Demand transparency from Veolia, our wastewater contractor, on compliance failures (e.g., 2025 violations). Residents deserve timely reports, not after-the-fact warnings.
- Increase FDEP oversight and fines for violations, redirecting penalties to pollution prevention projects in Winter Springs, as required by the 2021 Consent Order.
- Engage the Tuscawilla Homeowners Association (THOA) to hold the golf club and city accountable for environmental stewardship.
4. Safer Water for All:
- Expand reclaimed water lines to reduce potable water use for irrigation, as 75% of Winter Springs exceeds our Consumptive Use Permit. The SR 434 reclaimed main project, serving Tuskawilla Crossings, is a model to replicate.
- Protect Lake Jesup by supporting the Basin Management Action Plan to reduce nutrient inflows, ensuring our canals and streams don’t add to algae blooms.
- Invest in green infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales) to manage stormwater on-site, keeping pollutants out of our waterways.
What This Means for Tuscawilla
In Tuscawilla, our proximity to the golf course and wastewater plant puts us on the front lines. Fertilizer runoff from the Tuscawilla Country Club risks nutrient pollution in Bear Creek and local ponds, which recharge our aquifers. The West Wastewater Plant’s violations threaten the reclaimed water irrigating our lawns, potentially seeping into groundwater. Past incidents—like the 2015 boil water notice in Greens at Tuscawilla and the 2023 pond failure—show we can’t be reactive. Our children play in these neighborhoods, our families drink this water, and our future depends on acting now.
How You Can Help
As Tuscawilla residents, your voice is powerful. Here’s how to join me in this fight:
- Attend City Commission Meetings: Share your concerns at our next meeting (July 14, 2025, 6:30 PM, City Hall) or the THOA meeting (September 11, 2025, Tuscawilla Country Club). Demand accountability for water quality.
- Monitor Local Waterways: Report algae blooms or odors in ponds, Bear Creek, or Lake Jesup to FDEP (1-800-320-0519). Use the Seminole County Water Atlas (seminole.wateratlas.usf.edu) to track conditions.
- Engage with the Golf Club: Contact Tuscawilla Country Club (407-366-1211) to urge sustainable practices like integrated pest management. Join THOA to amplify this push.
- Support Infrastructure Funding: Back the 2024 Penny Sales Tax renewal and proposed rate adjustments to fund our $166 million Capital Improvement Program, including new wastewater plants and stormwater retrofits.
- Protect Your Property: Use fertilizers sparingly, maintain septic systems, and install rain barrels to reduce runoff. Visit www.stormwaterpartners.com for tips.
- Stay Informed: Check our 2024 Water Quality Report at www.winterspringsfl.org and follow my updates at victoriaforwintersprings.com for the latest on water projects.
A Commitment to You
As your Commissioner, I’m committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable solutions. The Water Works program, with a $166 million budget, is replacing our failing wastewater plants, optimizing water treatment, and expanding reclaimed water lines. We’ve secured $18 million in ARPA funds and are seeking state revolving fund loans to minimize rate impacts. But we need your partnership to hold contractors like Veolia accountable, push the golf club for better practices, and invest in our future.
Together, we can make Winter Springs a model for clean water in the Lake Jesup basin. Let’s raise the bar for safety, protect our Tri-County waterways, and ensure Tuscawilla remains a vibrant, healthy place to call home.
Reach out to me at victoria@winterspringsfl.org or 407-327-1800 with your ideas, and let’s keep the conversation going.
