BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Efforts are underway in Brevard County to better understand how bacteria and nutrients, harmful to the Indian River Lagoon, move through groundwater.

Here are five things you should know about the study:

1. Who's involved?

Marine Resources Council, Applied Ecology, and Brevard County Natural Resources are working on a two -year legislatively funded groundwater wastewater study.

2. What will scientists analyze?

Every month scientists sample 45 groundwater wells all over Brevard County at different types of properties: septic, sewer and reclaimed to send to a lab for analysis of bacterial and nutrients.

3. What are the costs?

In November, the Marine Resource Council, along with Applied Ecology, will ask for a 12-month extension to continue testing samples from 45 wells in seven different parts of Brevard County.

That project is estimated to cost about 200,000 dollars.

4. Muck removal

MRC was recently hired by Palm Bay to map the muck in Turkey Creek. The “Save Our Indian River Lagoon” tax passed a few years ago, and some of that money is going to muck removal.

5. Fertilizers

According to Marine Resource Council, fertilizers are the biggest contributor to the nitrogen and phosphorus into the lagoon which feeds the muck. ​