Brevard residents want county to fix aging infrastructure due to leaking raw sewage

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

Sewage spills in Brevard County are sending sludge into the Indian River Lagoon. This week, two raw sewage leaks occurred in a two day time-span. 

"At this point, it's kind of an uphill battle," said Scott Flemming, who has lived on Cinnamon Court in Satellite Beach for six years. 

Flemming said, when there is heavy rain, sewage coats the area and his oyster bed. 

Many neighborhoods in Brevard County are used to this, but now there is a citizen' movement to force county officials to address the aging infrastructure.

"The one a year ago at the fire station, I was taking my 10-year old to school, she said ‘Oh look daddy,  a chocolate milk fountain' and it was shooting 20 feet up into the air," Flemming said. 

"I'm terrified about what's going to happen if we get a major rain event in the next couple of months," said state lawmaker Randy Fine.

Fine has a bill that would force the county to prioritize spending, so aging pipes and pumps would be upgraded before tourism projects. Cities would face fines for sewage spills. 

"It's a disgrace, voters deserve better." Fine said.

The second spill this week was in the area of Tucker Lane in Cocoa. It is hard to pin down an exact number of gallons that escaped, but county and state officials said thousands between the two spots. 

Last year, a spill in Satellite Beach blew 375,000 gallons of sewage into the lagoon. 

"We've experienced at least three major spills," Flemming said.

Both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health are investigating the latest spills. The county says valves break during rain storms, and they are fixed as quickly as possible. The county says both spills were stopped within a few hours.