Sewage spills into creek in Palm Bay
Concerns about raw sewage in a Central Florida waterway are rising again after a spill in a tributary of the Indian River Lagoon.
About 700 gallons spilled into Turkey Creek in Palm Bay.
Once it's in the waterway, the damage is done, and it's just one of many sewage spills in the past year, officials told WESH 2 News.
"The backyard is why we got the house," homeowner Ana Fagan said.
Fagan's backyard borders Turkey Creek in Palm Bay, where turtles and fish seem to thrive, and kayakers glide.
At a lift station near U.S. 1 last week, an electrical breakdown resulted in 700 gallons of untreated sewage going right into the creek.
A similar spill in 2014 was followed weeks later by a fish kill.
The biggest concern is that Turkey Creek empties into the Indian River Lagoon.
Millions of gallons of sewage have been dumped into the lagoon this year, complicating a $400 million cleanup plan.
Brown algae and black muck continue to darken the water and suffocate the marine life.
"It's pretty concerning, because it's a constant problem for the Indian River. We're going to lose a resource that we're not going to get back if we don't take care of it now," Fagan said.