It may not be the “smoking gun” cause of the 2017 Hurricane Irma-related flooding of the barrier island wastewater system – which resulted in about 20 million gallons of emergency sewage discharges into the Indian River Lagoon – but results from county smoke tests in older neighborhoods show missing or damaged clean-out caps as a major contributor to intrusion during extreme weather events.
Often hit and damaged during mowing, the caps are usually found in the front yard and easy to determine as a leak by the smoke pouring out of the area. If a home’s system was in good shape, the smoke would come out the vent on the roof.
Two phases of smoke tests both confirmed that the caps were a significant contributor. Phase One, conducted in Satellite Beach in April and May, tested 5,165 properties. Of the 99 deficiencies, 87 were missing or had broken caps. Of the $387,500 total cost of all Phase One fixes, $174,000 was estimated for clean-out cap and fitting issues.
Phase Two tested 7,592 properties in Indian Harbour Beach and nearby areas of unincorporated Brevard County from May to July. Of the 190 deficiencies, 163 were broken or lost caps.
Of the $850,000 estimated for all repairs, $326,000 was estimated for clean-out caps and fittings.
During the testing, the county purchased and replaced broken caps where access was possible, and the fittings were undamaged.
Residents with other clean-out problems will be contacted by the county for possible help or advice with repairs.
Another relatively easy fix suggested by the study included the installation of “rainstopper” manhole inserts for which the county has an ongoing program to install a certain number per year.
“We are continuing our efforts to bolster the pipes and response to infrastructure concerns in an effort to prevent any future discharges based on flooding and storm impact, as much as possible. That’s why the smoke tests were deemed important, so we could determine where any issues might need to be addressed,’’ said county spokesman Don Walker.
Satellite Beach officials supported the smoke test study early in the process.
“The city appreciates Brevard County Utilities taking the initiative to investigate possible causes for the infiltration into the sewer system. The issue surrounding the multiple missing and/or broken clean-out caps on private property provides an insight into an area we can focus our efforts in designing solutions, not only simply replacing the caps, but also educating them on how important the clean out caps are to the overall sewer system. Residents can help us by keeping these installed on their property and in good repair,’’ said Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker.
