The Florida Division of Emergency Management released details about sewage that poured wastewater into the Indian River Lagoon this week.
- Sewage spill drained into Indian River Lagoon
- Report reveals the spill was caused by a main line break
- Brevard County voters approved sales tax increase to improve health of waterway
The report shows a main line break leaked 14,000 gallons of raw sewage in Titusville. It drained into a system that flows into the lagoon.
The spill happened Tuesday morning, the same day an alliance of organizations met to discuss long-term plans to protect the health of the lagoon.
“It’s 157 miles long, and it needs our help because it’s not as healthy as it needs to be,” said MJ Waters of the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition.
Brevard County voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase to fund a Save Our Lagoon project dedicated to improving the health of the waterway.
“The first thing that you have to do is try to get the muck out of the river, and then you have to prevent more things from coming in that continue to create this,” Waters said.
Brevard County resident Gabrielle Miller supports the need to keep the lagoon clear.
“This is a wonderful place it should be kept clean it should be kept beautiful it’s a piece of history,” Miller said.
A judge struck down a plan from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that would have required business owners to notify people about pollution incidents. Despite the ruling, the department says it will continue to notify the public about events like Tuesday’s sewage spill.