Spill sent 1M gallons of sewage toward Banana River

Parrish Medical Center Shooting Statement "Our Hearts Are Broken

Brevard spilled more than 1 million gallons of sewage into the lagoon. By Jim Waymer. Posted May 16, 2016

Brevard County had to diver more than 1 million gallons of sewage into a canal Wednesday that connects with the Banana River.Lagoon.(Photo: Jim Waymer)

More than 1 million gallons of raw sewage went into a canal that leads to the Banana River, after an old sewer pipe broke last week on South Patrick Drivenear the border ofSatellite Beach and Indian Harbour Beach.

"It"s 20-year-old pipe," said Don Walker, spokesman for Brevard County. "It"s kind of a problemwe"ve got all over the county."

To prevent sewage backups athomes and businesses, the county diverted 688,000 gallons of raw sewage into a pond near Sea Park Elementary School and 1.05 milliongallons of raw sewageinto Anchor Drive Canal, which connects with the Banana River.

Last week"srepair of theleaking sewer force main was complicated by excessive inflow ofgroundwater in the excavation area, county officials said, because it was so close to a canal.The pipe was 9 feetunderground.

Utility staff and two contractors worked around the clock for 38 hours, county officials said.

"After the first 24 hours, the ability to store and/or haul sewage was exhausted, so thedecision was made to divert sewage to a nearby canal to prevent backups into streets, home orbusinesses," County Manager Stockton Whitten said via email. "Additional staff and equipment wasbrought in to complete the repair as quickly as possible."

RELATED: Is the Indian River DOA?

Signs warning of contaminated waterremained up this week at the Sea Park pond and at the Anchor Drive canal.

"Signs are up until water quality samples return to normal levels," Walker said.

A similar spill happened in the same area of South Patrick Drive in November 2012. The countyleaked sewage into the same canal when a pipe failed. Apipe discharged 60,000 gallons of sewage for several hours on the west side of South PatrickDrive, until the pipe could be sealed.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection at the time found no wrongdoing, so itdid not fine the county.

Last week"s leak was the third major sewage incident the county has had this year.

Brevard County must pay $4,100 in state civil penalties and investigation costs for two wastewater dischargesin February one that ultimately flowed to the St. Sebastian River, whichempties into the Indian River Lagoon, and the other into a canal that flows to the St. Johns River.

On Feb. 2, the county"s Barefoot Bay wastewater treatment planthad an unauthorizeddischarge of 281,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater.Operator error resulted in the wastewater entering a canal that flows fourmiles to the St. Sebastian River, a tributary of the Indian River Lagoon.

"This partially treated wastewater was not raw sewage and was waiting for final filtering inpreparation for use on the Barefoot Bay golf course," Whitten said.

Then, on Feb. 24, the South Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Viera, water had to be divertedto holding ponds thatalready were almost full. The subsequent over flow resulted in 1.5 milliongallons of "treated reclaimed water" being discharged to a canal which flows to the St. JohnsRiver.

The county entered a May 3 consent order that includes paying $4,000 in civil penalties and $100to cover the cost DEPincurred whileinvestigating the two February incidents.

RELATED: Crisis-to-crisis caring can"t help Indian River Lagoon

Neither of the two Februaryincidents involved the discharge of raw sewage, county officialsemphasized.

But reclaimed water and partially treated sewage contain pathogens, and can be high in nitrogen and phosphorus that triggeralgae blooms, which cause fish kills.

Brevard Countyis spending $134 million on a 10-year water and wastewater system improvements in aconstant race against aging sewage infrastructure.

"We cant predict when pipes will break or leak," Walker said via email. "We are initiating a task order with one of our consulting firms to look at options for reducing the likelihood of future breaks/leaks of this force main."

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @JWayEnviro

Read or Share this story: http://on.flatoday.com/1TkaxRV

Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2016/05/16/spill-sent-1m-gallons-sewage-toward-banana-river/84449254/

Continue Reading ..

Police: Parrish Medical Center shooting left two women dead

Active Shooter Exercise At MCB Quantico

Titusville Police Department released the names of the two women who were shot dead at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville early Sunday morning.

The patient who died is 88-year-old Cynthia Zingsheim, police say.

The hospital employee who died is 36-year-old Carrie Rouzer.

Both victims are Titusville residents.

The suspect, who has been booked into the Brevard County Jail on two counts of murder, is 29-year-old David Owens of Titusville.

"Investigators have not been able to determine a motive at this time, nor any connection to the victims," said Commander Todd Hutchinson in a news release. "They are continuing to investigate this tragic incident."

Officers received a report of shots fired inside Parrish Medical Center and responded to the hospital just after 2 a.m. Sunday morning, according to Hutchinson.

The suspect entered the hospital through the emergency room and went up to the third floor where he shot Zingsheim and Rouzer in Zingsheim"s room, according to a preliminary investigation, police say.

Police Chief John Lau described the investigation as "fluid" during a press conference Sunday afternoon.

"It"s going to be a very long process for them to figure this out," he said.

Security guards tackled Owens and "held him down for arriving officers," Hutchinson said in a news release.

"Parrish Medical Center did have a plan," Lau said. "And there"s no doubt that their action saved lives."

During the press conference, Lau emphasized the importance of training for emergency situations.

"It could happen anywhere and there"s no city large enough or small enough What we"re urging is for citizens that see something to say something," he said.

Brevard County Sheriff"s Office deputies also arrived to help the Titusville Police Department.

"We are indebted to the Brevard County Sheriff"s Department," said Lau.

The suspect left the handgun he used in Zingsheim"s room, Hutchinson said.

The hospital, at 951 N. Washington Ave., is just west of Indian River.

Officials from the hospital are expected to provide details today about how the incident will impact the facility"s operations, Hutchinson said.

"They"re heavy-hearted right now," Lau said. "They lost a member of their team."

Lau said the hospital is operating "business as usual."

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

jinman@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5002

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/os-parrish-medical-center-shooting-20160717-story.html

Continue Reading ..