Is Sewage Plant Dumping a Major Source of Lagoon Pollution?
- No, not today! But until 1996 when the 1990 IRL System and Basin Act took effect, it sure was. Before that, Brevard’s sewage treatment plants dumped approximately 30 MILLION GALLONS of partially treated sewage directly into the Lagoon EVERY DAY. Thankfully that ended in 1996.
- Today, there are infrequent, and very UNWELCOME, releases of sewage but combined they are less than 0.01% of the pre-1996 dumping.
Working to Eliminate Overflow Dumping:
- Some of today’s dumping is due to broken lateral sewage pipes that allow ground water the seep into the pipes during heavy rains. This can overload the system and sometimes cause overflow conditions.
- The Save Our Indian Rive Lagoon (SOIRL) ½¢ sales tax program is completing smoke testing of 299 miles of these pipes and has repaired 842 of the 1,247 identified leaks.
Healing Our Lagoon is a “Yes, And” effort that requires understanding and correcting the multiple sources of Lagoon pollution. Thankfully we began dramatically reducing pollution from sewage treatment facilities some time ago but there still is more to do.
What You Can Do Today:
Support the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition by becoming a SPONSOR.
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