Sewage spills into Florida lagoon after old pipe ruptures

TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Officials say hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage have leaked into Florida's Indian River Lagoon.

Florida Today reports that Titusville Water Resources crews stopped the leak Monday behind one of the agency's stations. Officials said a pipe abandoned and replaced almost 40 years ago had remained active and ruptured, spewing 870,000 gallons of sewage into the lagoon.

Titusville Water Resources Director Sean Stauffer said the city was alerted by a resident who noticed sewage pooling in his yard.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials said they were evaluating water samples from the area.

The lagoon on Florida's Atlantic Coast is one of the nation's most biologically diverse waterways, but sewage spills and pollution from farming contribute to periodic algae blooms that can kill marine life and discolor the waters.

___

Information from: Florida Today (Melbourne, Fla.), http://www.floridatoday.com