Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Palm Bay, FL

Hurricane Milton spurred thousands of gallons of raw sewage spills in Palm Bay and in Titusville, after the storm dumped a foot or more of rain in some parts of the Space Coast.

Much more sewage spilled during Hurricane Ian in 2020, including at least 7.2 million gallons of treated wastewater from a county sewer plant in south beaches. But every sewage spill adds to the nitrogen and phosphorus that can spur toxic algae blooms, and the pathogens in the water put those who enter the lagoon at risk of infections and illnesses.

Titusville City Council approved a $70,000 settlement agreement earlier this year to resolve a lawsuit over a boy who became paralyzed after paddle boarding in the Indian River Lagoon near a city sewage spill in late 2020.

How many sewage spills did Hurricane Milton cause in Brevard?

More: Ian sewage spillsFlorida's aging infrastructure unleashed untold gallons of raw sewage during Ian

There were at least five sewage spills in Palm Bay and one that was significant in Titusville, in addition to several other much smaller sewage leaks in the county during Milton.

According to Florida Department of Environmental Protection documents, here's how Milton's more significant sewage spills played out:

Palm Bay spilled more than an 460,000:

Due to erosion caused by Hurricane Milton, on Oct. 11 the eight-inch force main was undermined and collapsed at 1540 Riverside Drive in Titusville, which resulted in a sewer spill of about 60,000 gallons of sewage going into the Indian River Lagoon. The pipe was isolated and repaired.

"The safety and well-being of our residents are our top priority," said Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, said in a prepared statement. "This event underscores the importance of maintaining and improving our infrastructure to withstand the challenges posed by weather and erosion. We are committed to ensuring these vital systems continue to serve our community reliably."

Watchdog groups have warned for decades, though, that DEP treats sewage violations with kid gloves to keep development humming along and isn't forcing utilities to maintain extra storage capacity, sufficient backup power and reliable lift stations and piping.

Also, many local politicians want to keep impact/sewer fees low. The result is that when sewage spills happen, they are seldom — if ever — adequately addressed, clean water advocates say.

But Palm Bay officials assure they are on the sewage problem.

The city is embarking on more than $32.6 million of current and near future approved sewage improvement projects, including upgrades to multiple lift stations, lining pipes to help keep groundwater and stormwater from infiltrating sewer pipes, installing permanent bypass pumps, and building a new sewer plant.

The city also is investing in technology to provide advance notice of impending wastewater backups, including smart manhole covers to provide notification of blockages in pipes, city officials said.

Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.

BRP Inc. has inaugurated its Design & Innovation Center in Palm Bay, Florida, as part of its expansion in the region. The center, dedicated to advanced concepts and designs for on-water products, aims to bring significant innovation to the marine industry.

Related Articles

Over the past few years, BRP has invested in its research and development (R&D) and testing facilities in Palm Bay, including acquiring additional land that offers access to diverse playgrounds. With the establishment of its Design & Innovation Center and the enhancement of its R&D capabilities, BRP is becoming a key player in the Palm Bay community, contributing to the economic and social fabric of the region.

“At BRP, innovation runs deep in our DNA, and we are passionate about delivering outstanding riding experiences to our customers all over the world,” said José Boisjoli, president and CEO of BRP. “Our Palm Bay site plays a pivotal role in our innovation journey, and this is why over the last few years we have invested more than $15 million in this facility.”

“One of our greatest strengths as a company is the profound collaboration that exists between the design team and the engineering and product teams. The Palm Bay site is the perfect illustration of this synergy,” said Denys Lapointe, chief design officer of BRP. “By combining design and advanced concepts with R&D, we are able to explore new possibilities and create products that offer unique, innovative and exciting adventures for our riders.”

Palm Bay, a multi-generational and family-oriented community close to the ocean, offers the perfect playground for BRP’s 60 employees to create and design marine products and push the boundaries of technology for both on-water and powersports products. This location enables the teams to stay on top of trends, identify emerging consumer needs and desires, and test products in the right environments.

On a global scale, BRP continually invests in research and development to build on its culture of innovation. With the resources of its state-of-the-art facilities around the world, the company is committed to maintaining its leadership position in its industries. In Palm Bay, the R&D team focuses on the engineering of jet propulsion systems and powerpacks, as well as calibration and testing to demonstrate product performance and durability.

The Palm Bay Design & Innovation Center is one of BRP’s three Design Centers worldwide. It acts as an extension of the Laurent Beaudoin Design and Innovation Centre in Valcourt, Quebec—the largest design center in Canada—where the team creates designs for all of BRP’s existing product lines and explores advanced vehicle concepts. The third center, located in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France and inaugurated in 2023, focuses on advanced concepts for sustainable urban mobility.

The Palm Bay design team collaborates closely with its counterparts in Canada and Europe, leveraging BRP’s global footprint to share advanced concepts and ideas from around the world, catering to consumers across diverse markets and geographies.

BRP has announced the official inauguration of its Design & Innovation Center in Palm Bay, Florida, as part of its ongoing expansion in the region. The Center, dedicated to advanced concepts and designs for on-water products, should bring significant innovation to the marine industry.

Over the past few years, BRP has also invested in its Research & Development (R&D) and testing facilities in Palm Bay, including the acquisition of additional land that offers access to diverse playgrounds. Now, with the establishment of its Design & Innovation Center and the enhancement of its R&D capabilities, BRP is establishing itself as a key player in the Palm Bay community, contributing to the economic and social fabric of the region.

“At BRP, innovation runs deep in our DNA and we are passionate about delivering outstanding riding experiences to our customers all over the world,” says José Boisjoli, president and CEO of BRP. “Our Palm Bay site plays a pivotal role in our innovation journey and this is why, over the last few years, we have invested more than $15 million US in this facility.”

“One of our greatest strengths as a company is the profound collaboration that exists between the design team, and the engineering and product teams. The Palm Bay site is the perfect illustration of this synergy,” says Denys Lapointe, chief design officer of BRP. “By combining design and advanced concepts with R&D, we are able to explore new possibilities and create products that offer unique, innovative and exciting adventures for our riders.”

Palm Bay, a multi-generational and family-oriented community close to the ocean offers the perfect playground for BRP’s 60 employees to create and design marine products and push the boundaries of technology for both on-water and powersports products. The unique location enables the teams to stay on top of trends and identify emerging consumer needs and desires, as well as test products on the right playgrounds.

Global Network of Innovation

On a global scale, BRP continually invests in research and development to build on its culture of innovation. With the resources of its facilities around the world, the BRP is committed to maintaining its leadership position in its industries. In Palm Bay, the R&D team focuses on the engineering of jet propulsion systems and powerpacks as well as calibration and testing to demonstrate product performance and durability.

The Palm Bay Design & Innovation Center is one of BRP’s three Design Centers worldwide. It acts as an extension of the Laurent Beaudoin Design and Innovation Centre in Valcourt, Québec—the largest design center in Canada—where the team creates designs for all of BRP’s existing product lines and explores advanced vehicle concepts. The third center, located in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France and inaugurated in 2023, focuses on advanced concepts for sustainable urban mobility.

The Palm Bay design team collaborates closely with its counterparts in Canada and Europe, leveraging BRP’s global footprint to share advanced concepts and ideas from around the world, catering to consumers across diverse markets and geographies.

Among the notable products designed by the Palm Bay team are the all-new Manitou Cruise and Explore pontoons, the Alumacraft Trophy and Competitor aluminum boats, and the Quintrex Freestyler boat.