Larger amounts of money are now available to help Brevard County homeowners and businesses upgrade septic systems located within the Indian River Lagoon watershed.
By the year 2030, state law requires that all properties in the lagoon watershed either connect to a centralized sewer system or have an upgraded septic system, one that achieves at least a 65% nitrogen pollution reduction. High levels of nitrogen have killed off seagrass and otherwise harmed the lagoon, which the state designates as impaired by pollution.
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Residents can apply to the county's Save Our Indian River Lagoon or SOIRL program for help funding a septic system upgrade, with a maximum $20,000 amount set for each parcel. But up until now, there was no minimum amount guaranteed for eligible applicants. SOIRL doled out funding based on how much nitrogen pollution each septic upgrade would reduce.
On Tuesday, Brevard County commissioners unanimously approved setting a minimum cost-share of $6,000 for applicants deemed eligible for funds. That means, if approved, each applicant will receive at least $6,000 toward an upgrade. Early adopters of nitrogen-reducing septic systems may be retroactively reimbursed.
The newly-approved change is in place for a one-year trial period. Six months in, a report will be due to SOIRL's Citizen Oversight Committee. Members of that committee decided last month to recommend that commissioners approve the change.
At the committee's meeting last month, associate environmental specialist Joel Beaudry said homeowners are facing higher costs for septic system upgrades. In 2020, the average cost was $18,000; now, it's more than $22,000.
With the 2030 state deadline looming, residents need help paying for septic upgrades — and some are frustrated by the way SOIRL has dealt out funds to date, Beaudry said.
The program has used a model to gauge how much nitrogen pollution comes from each property and, from there, determine how much money each one should receive. But for residents applying to the program, the funding awards appeared inconsistent.
Beaudry showed committee members an example scenario. One Merritt Island property sending 27 pounds of nitrogen into the lagoon annually was eligible for SOIRL's full $20,000. But right next door, another property emitting just three pounds of nitrogen is only eligible for about $2,500.
"To the neighborhood, all the houses look the same. All the houses are near the lagoon, and all houses have that mandate to upgrade as per that new state rule," Beaudry said. "And so we're seeing a lot of frustration from homeowners as they call into us for this program, because their grant amount is so low compared to the cost they will see."
The shift to a $6,000 minimum for successful applicants aligns Brevard more closely with other counties, said Natural Resources Management Director Virginia Barker.
"This is similar to what other counties are doing. Other counties aren't looking at the cost per pound. They're not looking at what are the highest-priority septic systems to get rid of," Barker said. "They're just saying: 'Septic is bad. Give us state funding and we'll help make it available to whoever is willing to participate in the program.'"
From Jan. 1 to Nov. 21 of this year, SOIRL received 383 applications for septic upgrade funds. Of those, 38 applications were for amounts smaller than $6,000.
"Right away, passing this (amendment) would benefit them," Barker said.
When state grants are available, the $6,000 minimum amount will be split between those and SOIRL revenues. Otherwise, all $6,000 will come from the half-cent sales tax funding the SOIRL program.
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