A popular waterway in southern Brevard County remains off-limits Sunday after about 4 million gallons of partially treated wastewater was dumped into a canal that flows into Turkey Creek in Palm Bay, city officials said.
The heavy rains over the past few days aren't just a threat to homes and vehicles. The rain is also causing a problem to waterways.
City officials want people to stay away from the stream. Warning signs have been posted in the area.
The Palm Bay Utilities Department was able to stop the discharge of the sewage into Turkey Creek over the weekend. The daily downpours doubled the amount of wastewater and stormwater at the city’s wastewater treatment plans.
The city was able to drain overflow ponds on Saturday to increase its capacity for wastewater, but the damage is still present.
Rene Castro, from Savannah, Georgia, said his family loves to swim and fish in Turkey Creek. They won't do either of those activities this weekend, though.
"We just used the ramp," Castro said Sunday. "We put the boat out in the Intracoastal and we go out to Sebastian. So, we try to stay away from here until everything is clear. They do the test, they give us the OK. And after that, we still give it a little bit more time, and we'll come back."
The Palm Bay Utilities Department on Friday issued an official advisory.
"Due to the recent heavy rains in the area, the Palm Bay Utilities Wastewater Treatment facility has experienced a larger-than-average volume of wastewater and stormwater on-site," the advisory said. "As a result of the inundation, all storage and treatment capacity at the facility has been reached, and partially treated wastewater has overflowed into a canal that feeds into Turkey Creek."
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health are working with city officials to monitor and test the waterway.
But the discharge isn't good news for the area.
Turkey Creek flows into the Indian River Lagoon, which faces its own environmental challenges with algae blooms and dead marine life.
The advisory will remain in place until test results come back satisfactory. Residents are urged to limit contact with Turkey Creek and abstain from swimming or fishing in the water.