VIERA, Fla. — Brevard County leaders are working to speed up projects to help the Indian River Lagoon.
- Oversight committee to consider using money to aid in clean up
- Area has seen fish kills, brown tide in Banana River, Indian River Lagoon
- Committee to hold meeting Brevard County Government Complex at 8:30 a.m.
- RELATED: Brevard residents demand more action for the Indian River Lagoon
The Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizen Oversight Committee, which is in charge of handling the half-cent sales tax money meant to clean up the Indian River, on Friday will consider pumping money into efforts to aid the ailing estuary.
Just recently, the area has seen fish kills and brown tide in the Banana River, which feeds into the Indian River Lagoon.
The county is considering speeding up sewer line repairs and upgrades and building a new $50 million-wastewater treatment plant to increase capacity and prevent future discharges, like with what was seen with Hurricane Irma.
During the storm last fall, many witnessed firsthand raw sewage being pumped into canals that feed the Indian and Banana rivers.
It is up to the citizen oversight committee to determine if it wants to use some of the half-cent sales tax money to offset the costs of those projects.
At the moment, homeowners are required to pay more in utilities for repairs and upgrades to utility systems. The county commission would have to agree to any utility hike.
The citizen oversight committee meets at the Brevard County Government Complex in Viera at 8:30 a.m., Friday.