Public commenter warns Brevard is nearing 300 major wastewater spills; asks for monthly updates

At the Brevard City Council meeting on Feb. 2, resident Jeff Brewer urged the city to give regular updates on wastewater projects and said the system continues to experience significant overflows.

"On January 10, we had another spill. 3,150 gallons of untreated wastewater hit a tributary of the French Broad River," Brewer told council. He said the city is "fast approaching 300 spills in excess of 1,000 gallons since beginning in 2013," a cumulative total he described as "tens of thousands of gallons" of untreated wastewater reaching the river.

Brewer told the council he reviewed the city website and found the collections-system performance report posted only through June 30, 2024, and asked whether more recent information could be posted. He recommended at least monthly updates on projects such as the sewer pump rehabilitation and water-treatment improvements to keep the public informed on timelines and capacity changes.

Council response: Council President and staff pointed the commenter to the public-works committee, where project updates are discussed monthly and the committee minutes are available. City staff and council members encouraged residents to attend committee meetings or consult posted minutes for technical progress reports.

What the transcript records (clarifying details): the wastewater-treatment plant was described in the meeting as designed for an average flow of about 2,500,000 gallons per day; staff referenced ongoing plans and bid timelines for pump rehabilitation and water-treatment improvements through late 2026. A formal staff schedule for monthly public updates was not adopted at the meeting.

Next steps: Brewer asked for monthly updates; councilmembers encouraged the public to use the public-works committee meeting for project updates and said staff would bring relevant information to those sessions.