FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 12, 2015
CITY OF
COCOA BEACH AWARDED $1.1 MILLION FOR CONTINUATION OF PROJECT TO HELP PROTECT BANANA RIVER LAGOON
~State funding assists with stormwater project to improve water quality~
COCOA BEACH, Fla. – The Department of Environmental
Protection recently provided a loan increase of approximately $1.1 million
through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program to support the
city of Cocoa Beach’s stormwater project on Minutemen Causeway. The
infrastructure improvement project will redirect stormwater flow from the
Banana River Lagoon to a stormwater treatment train in an effort to improve
water quality and protect the lagoon for future generations.
"DEP is proud to partner with local municipalities to work
towards the common goal of preserving Florida's natural resources," said DEP
Secretary Jon Steverson. "Water restoration assistance loans and grants
help us partner with local governments to make vital
infrastructure improvements, which enhance the quality of local water
bodies."
The department's Clean Water SRF Program provides
low-interest loans to eligible local governments and utilities to
plan, design and construct water pollution control
facilities. The treatment train will contain urban rain garden
planters, underground rain tanks and pervious pavers to collect runoff,
allowing it to percolate back into Cocoa Beach’s sands and recharge the shallow
aquifer. The project is expected to reduce the amount of total nitrogen and
total phosphorus entering the lagoon system by more than 33 and 60 pounds per
year, respectively. The project is estimated to begin in Fall 2015 and be completed by Winter 2017.
“The city of Cocoa Beach is excited to move forward with this project,” said city of Cocoa Beach Stormwater Manager Joanie Regan. “This partnership ensures that our local water resources will be protected and the water quality at Banana River Lagoon will be improved.”
Stormwater runoff occurs when rainfall carries pollutants such
as fertilizers, pesticides, grease and oil from land into a flowing water
source. Once within a waterbody, these pollutants cause rapid algal growth and
algal blooms, among other ecological complications.
In addition to the low-interest loan, the work in this area is
receiving additional funding from various sources including $800,000 in
legislative funding, an EPA 319 grant of $544,540, a state Total Maximum Daily
Load grant of $450,000, a St. Johns River Water Management District grant of
$50,000, and $1,395,000 in funding from the Florida Department of
Transportation. The total funding for this project is approximately $4.3
million.
Since its inception, DEP’s SRF Program has awarded more than $4.8 billion in loans for wastewater,
stormwater and drinking water infrastructure, including about $1.4 billion for more than 200 projects in the past five years. The program is
funded by federal grants, state matching funds, loan repayments and interest
earnings. For more information, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/water/waterprojectfunding/.
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