Brevard to discuss repairs to avert water main failure

Emergency repairs affecting a critical Brevard County water and sewer main will be considered during a meeting Thursday night, after a bridge supporting it was heavily damaged during Hurricane Irma.

Brevard commissioners must pass a resolution to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start work to stabilize the Sea Ray Drive/Sykes Creek Bridge, which runs parallel to State Road 528 on Merritt Island. An underground water main also was damaged in the storm.

The bridge has been closed since Sept. 10, and officials warned of the potential risk of failure on Sept. 22, which could mean the loss of potable water for homes and businesses on the barrier islands.

A news release from county spokesman Don Walker said the resolution for the emergency work, requested by the state through the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Division of Emergency Management, also requires a timeline for permanent restoration work.

“The bridge provides support for critical water and sewer mains between the mainland and coastal communities, and a nearby sub-aqueous water main also sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Irma, and the compromised structural integrity of the bridge poses an immediate public health and safety threat,” the resolution states.

Walker said repairs to the bridge will “stabilize the critical water and sewer mains and … reduce the threat of failure.”

The plan will include work to restore the bridge and repair the underground water main line because of damages directly related to the storm with FEMA reimbursement — then look at other repairs that could be made simultaneously that were just caused by deterioration.

If approved, the resolution would allow survey and design work to start as soon as possible, to begin construction within six months and to complete construction within 12 to 18 months.