PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — WPTV is following through on water conditions in the Sawgrass Lakes community in Port St. Lucie.
WATCH BELOW: 'The lake is sick,' Bob Shonce tells WPTV's Port St. Lucie Tyler Hatfield
Just a few weeks ago, we first told you about a fish kill that wiped out around 1,100 fish in the stormwater tract.
Neighbors said they've been concerned about the water quality for years and said this water is sick. Now, the city is working on a solution to try and bring the water back to life.
On Monday, city council approved funding for an around $1.3 million three-year treatment plan for the water using a solution called trymarine.
The city will still use their vendor, SOLitutde, to conduct the treatment and continue to test the water quality.
"I would love that water to be turned around tomorrow," said Kevin Matyjaszek, utility systems director for Port St. Lucie. "But we want to get this right and we want to make sure the chemistry is right."
For Bob Shonce, HOA president of North Panther Trace at Sawgrass Lakes, he and other neighbors have been seeing the change in the water for over five years.
"You look at any other lake in Port St. Lucie and it doesn't look like this," said Shonce. "The lake is sick, and so are the residents over what it looks like."
Back in March, city staff listened to Shonce and other neighbors’ concerns. Most of the community voted to give TryMarine a shot.
Matyjaszek said the stormwater tract has muck and sediment issues, which can lower the oxygen levels and water quality, making it susceptible to algae growth.
He said TryMarine could help reduce the muck and hopefully bring oxygen levels back.
But WPTV spoke to the Jim Moir, executive director of the Indian Riverkeeper, who said while TryMarine may help reduce the sediment in the water, it may not solve the issue of where the muck is originating.
"They need to do something proactive and immediate, but they also need to look at the underlying issue," said Moir. "If we have an ongoing nutrient supply, this is just going to happen again."
Read more of WPTV's coverage below:
Port St Lucie
Neighbors find 'hundreds and hundreds' of dead fish after algae treatment
Port St Lucie
Blue-green algae treatment begins at Sawgrass Lakes community in Port St. Lucie
Port St Lucie
