Sewage Dumping Bill

A plan to keep what we flush out of the ocean. Governor Charlie Crist will be in our area Monday to sign an important piece of legislation into law. It will stop sewage water from being dumped into our ocean.

They play a huge part in our ecosystem: South Florida's Coral Reefs. Ed Tichenor of the Palm Beach County Reef Rescue says, "The reefs are one of the first lines of protection against hurricane surge. They generate income for South Florida. So, they are very important and once they are killed they can't be replaced."

Tichenor has been fighting for 6 years to stop the dumping of sewage water in the Atlantic, "The practice of discharging sewage into the ocean is archaic. Particularly when it discharges onto a coral reef."

This week a step forward. Monday, Governor Christ will sign a bill eliminating sewage disposal through pipes.

Sunday, beach goers, like Sandra McPherson of Boynton Beach, were thrilled to hear the news, "I think thats it's good that we protect our water, being that some many diseases are developing."

Ruben Risco is visiting from Alabama and agrees with the changes, "When your talking about waste management there definitely needs to be come type of program so that it's protects ourselves and the Gulf or Atlantic."

The new bill will eliminate the 6 remaining wastewater discharge pipes from Delray Beach to Miami. Under the guidelines each wastewater facility must decrease nutrient pollutant discharged through the pipes by 90% within 10 years and stop the use of the pipes all together by 2025, "In an ideal world they would be stopped tomorrow, Palm Beach County is well ahead of the curve."

Wastewater facilities have long fought the changes. One, they believed no wrong doing was taking place, but a big concern is the cost. Now, sewage water must be put into retention ponds and for urban and agricultural landscape irrigation.

Governor Crist will sign the bill Monday at 1:30 at the Broward County Convention Center.