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Residents Concerned About Sewage In Indian River Lagoon

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Photo courtesy Brevard County
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Brevard County residents are raising concerns about sewage discharged into the Indian River Lagoon after Hurricane Irma.

The concerns come as the county begins a 10-year, $302 million clean-up of the lagoon.

Irma overwhelmed Brevard County’s sewer system, dumping more than 2 billion gallons of rainwater. The system is designed for only 8 million gallons.

Satellite Beach resident Scott Hoffman says the problem continued for more than a month.

“You could see toilet paper and feces floating by out into the Grand Canal. And I spoke to some people that were on the Grand Canal, and they said they couldn’t even go out of their houses because it smelled so bad.”

Brevard County says the water now is safe and that leaders are considering how to improve the sewer system to prevent future discharges during large rain events.