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Merritt Islanders Still Asked To Conserve Water As Sewage Problems Persist After Irma

This visible light image of Hurricane Irma was captured by NOAA's GOES East satellite as it strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane in the Central Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 5 at 7:45 a.m. EDT
This visible light image of Hurricane Irma was captured by NOAA's GOES East satellite as it strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane in the Central Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 5 at 7:45 a.m. EDT

Merritt Island residents still are asked to conserve water as work continues on a sewage pump damaged during Irma.

Across Florida the hurricane left a trail overflowing sewage.

In Brevard County sewage backed up into a small number of homes, spilled from beneath manhole covers and flowed into drainage canals.

County spokesman Don Walker says the reason for the water conservation request in Merritt Island is a damaged pump designed to push sewage 13 miles to a treatment facility.

"That's a 9 million gallon pipe that's been inundated by storm water because it's below sea level in some areas, and there's been an infiltration of storm water into the system. And we've had basically 12 million gallons in that line."

Statewide many millions of gallons of sewage are believed to have spilled after Irma.

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.