A $1 million federal grant will help fund a major sewage system upgrade in the Ixora Park community in Indian River County, Congressman Mike Haridopolos announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The Member Community Project Funding will support a $20.8 million project to retrofit the sewage system affecting over 230 homes that currently rely on a failing sewer system risking contamination of environmental resources. Haridopolos said the federal support ensures health and safety to the community by rehabilitating infrastructure while protecting the Indian River Lagoon, a designated federal resource and one of the most diverse estuaries in the country.
The Ixora Park community sits adjacent to the County South Relief Canal, which discharges into the Indian River Lagoon. Keith Drewett of the Clean Water Coalition of Indian River County said the lagoon is dramatically different from twenty years ago in terms of fishing and swimming, with nobody swimming in the lagoon anymore. The Clean Water Coalition identified the upgrade as critical because the water table is high and heavy rain flows underground through the subsurface. The project will replace aging sewer infrastructure and reduce discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus into the lagoon. Haridopolos noted the benefits extend beyond environmental protection, as replacing the failing systems improves water quality and increases the taxable value of homes in the community.