Florida Town Completes Sewer Main Repair, Replacement Project
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently joined the city of Cocoa Beach, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, St. Johns River Water Management District and local officials in celebrating the completion of the Minutemen stormwater and streetscape improvement project.
“DEP was pleased to provide nearly $5 million in funding for this project to reduce stormwater runoff into the Indian River Lagoon,” said Trina Vielhauer, director of the Division of Water Restoration Assistance. “The Indian River Lagoon is one of Florida’s most important waterways and we are proud to support projects that will help restore and protect this biologically diverse gem.”
The city of Cocoa Beach was awarded $3 million in low-interest loans to repair and replace sewer mains and install state-of-the-art stormwater treatment systems in watershed sub-basins along the Minutemen Causeway. The project will help reduce nutrients entering the Banana River Lagoon, which is part of the Indian River Lagoon system – a designated Estuary of National Significance. Funding was provided through the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan program.
Cocoa Beach was also awarded $1.7 million in grants for the Minutemen Corridor Stormwater Low Impact Design and Streetscape Improvement project to install urban planters and rain gardens, tree wells, exfiltration vaults and pervious pavers to allow stormwater runoff to percolate back into the barrier island sands, mimicking the natural water cycle that existed before Cocoa Beach was developed. The project will help remove nutrients and treat stormwater flowing into the Banana River Lagoon. Funding was provided through the state’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality restoration grants, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 319 grants for nonpoint source pollution and legislative appropriation grants.
“We thank DEP for providing this valuable funding to beautify the city’s ‘Main Street,’ as well as update the Minutemen Causeway’s stormwater treatment systems,” said James “Jim” McKnight, Cocoa Beach city manager. “Not just another pretty street, the new and sustainable Minutemen Causeway will have a lasting impact on our lagoon system through its redirection of stormwater runoff, benefiting residents, visitors and wildlife for years to come.”
One of Cocoa Beach’s oldest roadways, Minutemen Causeway is the main street corridor, running east-west across the Atlantic coastal barrier island.
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