Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: Amending the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program to Provide a Minimum Cost-Share for Septic System Upgrades
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Fiscal Impact:
No change to the budget for septic upgrade cost-shares, but the load reduction benefit would decrease. Roughly 20 percent of the $30,691,280 that is currently allocated for Septic System Upgrade Cost-Share from the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program (Fund 1260), might be claimed by property owners whose drain fields contribute very little pollution to the lagoon.
Dept/Office:
Natural Resources Management
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested the Board 1) approve a minimum cost-share for property owners within the Indian River Lagoon watershed who upgrade from a conventional septic system to a nitrogen reducing system that complies with House Bill 1379, which requires all existing septic within the watershed to be connected to sewer or upgraded by 2030; 2) authorize this change to go into effect immediately and be incorporated into the 2026 Update of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan, as recommended unanimously by the Citizen Oversight Committee; and 3) approve retroactive reimbursements for early adopters of nitrogen reducing septic systems.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
On November 18, 2025, the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Citizen Oversight Committee recommended amending the septic system upgrade program to allow for a $6,000 minimum cost-share for properties upgrading their septic to a 65% or better, nitrogen reducing system.
The Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan currently states: "Septic system retrofit upgrades will be funded on a prorated basis of $1,600 per pound of reduced nitrogen loading to the Indian River Lagoon, up to a maximum of $20,000 per septic system parcel." The 2025 Plan Update reported the average cost to upgrade to a nitrogen reducing septic system was $20,768. The Draft 2026 Plan Update reports an updated average cost to upgrade as $2...
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