Now that we have sewer, most may believe that we have solved the problems of nutrients from septic tanks getting into the water and all should be fine. Well partly true!

Sewer is a great improvement. It is costly, but necessary. It is not an instant problem fix however. For 20 years after sewer is installed, we will have leachate from those septic systems, seeping through the porous coral earth into the canals. Lawns and plants are fertilized, leaf debris swept and blown into the canals, pet and animal waste, oil, fuel and other man made matter wash in the canals with rain and we have relatively little, or no, storm water systems in the Keys.

Without a practical means to address storm water run-off with retention ponds and treatment facilities, we need to find another means to help reduce our human impact to keep our ecosystems healthy. Storm water treatment could rival the cost of the sewer systems. Habitats can provide a means to address several continuing issues at a much lower cost and user-friendly approach.