FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 13, 2014
NEARLY $2 MILLION INVESTMENT MADE IN
INDIAN RIVER LAGOON PROTECTION
~The city of Rockledge receives
assistance to eliminate 143 septic tanks~
TALLAHASSEE –
In an effort to continue reducing pollutants reaching the Indian River Lagoon
system, the city of Rockledge has secured funding assistance from the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management
District to remove 143 septic tanks. The funding will also be used to
construct and install a lift station and sewer force main.
“The Indian River
Lagoon is one of the most unique and treasured ecosystems in the world and its protection
and restoration is a top priority,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr.
“This project is another step in the right direction for returning the lagoon
to its natural condition.”
“This partnership
between the city of Rockledge and the Florida DEP is another step in the right
direction in restoring the health of the Indian River Lagoon,” said Florida House Speaker
Designate Steve Crisafulli. “This project, combined with other ongoing
restoration efforts, will have a meaningful impact in preserving the Indian
River Lagoon as a critical part of our economy and our way of life.”
“The city of Rockledge
and other Space Coast communities rely on the lagoon to strengthen their local
economies and support their quality of life,” said Senator Thad Altman. “This
project will have direct positive impacts on the Indian River Lagoon, one of
our state’s most renowned natural resources.”
“Reducing the volume of nutrients entering the
lagoon is an important part of restoring this delicate ecosystem," said
William Tredik, leader of the St. Johns River Water Management District's
Indian River Lagoon Protection Initiative. “This cooperative project will help
preserve the health of the estuary for future generations.”
“During budget
preparation in 2013, the city council identified septic tank removal east of U.S. 1 as a priority, due to the adjacent location to the Indian River Lagoon,”
said Rockledge Mayor Tom Price. “It has been overdue, certainly needed and will
have a direct impact on the health of the Indian River, an estuary of national
significance. We are pleased to partner with the state of Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the
state legislature in moving forward with tangible projects that will aid this unique
waterbody.”
The initial 143 septic
tanks that will be removed is phase one of a two-phase initiative. In total,
the city is planning on transitioning 367 septic tanks to sewer service. The total
anticipated load reduction from both phases will remove approximately 11,377
pounds of total nitrogen and 1,835 pounds of total phosphorus annually. These
initial tanks are just two to three blocks away from the Indian River Lagoon’s
eastern shoreline.
The department has
committed $775,000 and the St. Johns River Water Management District has put forth
an additional $550,000 in grant funding. The remaining $600,000 in funding for
this project comes from the city of Rockledge through its Wastewater Capital Fund.
This project is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2015.
The Indian River Lagoon
is a diverse, shallow-water estuary stretching across 40 percent of Florida’s
east coast from Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County to the southern boundary
of Martin County. Widespread algal blooms appeared in the lagoon in 2011 when
temperatures dropped significantly. This was followed by brown tide blooms in
2012 and 2013. Approximately 47,000 acres of seagrasses were lost, a reduction
of about 60 percent of the lagoon’s total seagrass coverage. This project,
which will prevent a significant amount of nitrogen and phosphorus from
reaching the lagoon, is important to help prevent these events from occurring
in the future.
Dredging projects,
water-quality monitoring and support for local lagoon awareness organizations
are all part of a larger, multi-agency effort to improve the health of the
lagoon. The department, St. Johns Water Management District, South Florida Water
Management District, Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, local
governments and educational institutions are individually and collectively
working to identify additional opportunities to speed the lagoon back to ideal
health.
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