Septic Systems & the Indian River Lagoon

Beneath thousands of homes near the Indian River Lagoon, there are septic systems slowly leaking nutrients into our water, and most people don't even know it's happening. More than half of all homes in Brevard County use septic tanks — approximately 56,000 systems, many installed 30, 40, or even 50 years ago and well past their effective lifespan. Even functioning septic systems leach nitrogen and phosphorus into groundwater every single day — there's no way to completely stop it. Groundwater in Florida moves slowly toward the lowest point, which is the Indian River Lagoon, so septic nutrients make that same journey. And the problem is getting worse: as systems age, they leak more, and population growth adds more systems, meaning the IRL is absorbing decades of accumulated septic pollution. In this lesson, we'll learn what septic systems are, what they do to the lagoon, the real fix, why it takes so long, who's paying, and what you can do right now.