Brevard County encompasses approximately 1,500 square miles with most of the urbanized sections of the County located along the coast and barrier islands. Thousands of individual outfalls in Brevard County drain to either the Indian River Lagoon (IRL)
or the St. Johns River (SJR). The IRL occupies the majority of central Brevard and includes the Indian River , Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon. Throughout Brevard, there are over 2,000 stormwater outfalls,
which convey untreated stormwater into the Lagoon.
As part of the implementation of its growth management plan, local regulations were changed in 1978 to assure that all subdivisions and commercial sites developed within Brevard County were required to treat stormwater runoff to reduce pollutants carried
to surface waters and to store runoff volumes to reduce flooding of downstream properties. However, much of Brevard was developed prior to this time and had little or no stormwater treatment facilities. To prevent flooding in these areas and address
stormwater related pollution problems, additional measures were required. In September 1990, Brevard County adopted an ordinance that created a Stormwater utility, thereby providing a dedicated source of funding for the stormwater program. In 2007
the Stormwater Program became part of the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office, as a principle part of the Watershed Management Program.
For several decades the Brevard County Stormwater Program has been a leader in stormwater management and will continue to strive toward success in the years to come. The program has numerous projects planned for the next several years that will help alleviate
flooding issues in identified areas and provide treatment to stormwater before it reaches its final destination, the Indian River Lagoon or St. Johns River.