St. John's Basin

Stormwater Improvements

St. Johns Basin FountainExcess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering the Indian River Lagoon have attributed to reduction of the growth of seagrass within the Lagoon. In an effort to reduce nutrients entering the Indian River Lagoon, the City of Titusville, in partnership with Brevard County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, completed stormwater improvements to the North Brevard Senior Center.

These improvements included the construction of two retention ponds, a boardwalk and a gazebo along with a downstream nutrient separating baffle box at St. Johns Street.

The Senior Center ponds and baffle box provide treatment for stormwater runoff from 555 acres of commercial and residential property in the St. John’s Street Basin. The boardwalk around the ponds also serves as a great place to walk and enjoy the outdoors.

Drainage System

The St. John’s Street basin is the largest sub-basin in the City of Titusville’s Area II Watershed. Its drainage system flows through different stormwater components prior to reaching the Indian River Lagoon.

The major drainage components within the St. John’s Street Basin begin with existing wetlands, which drain to Lake Morbecca. From Lake Morbecca, water flows through an open ditch to the Senior Center Stormwater Treatment Ponds.

After the treatment ponds, the drainage is conveyed through a series of ditches and pipes until it reaches the 2nd Generation Nutrient Separating Baffle Box, which collects suspended solids prior to entering the Indian River Lagoon; this combination of stormwater treatment components is what is known as a treatment train.

Nutrient Separating Baffle Box

A 2nd Generation Nutrient Separating Baffle Box is a structural Best Management Practice used for stormwater quality treatment. It removes leaves, trash, sand and their associated contents of nitrogen and phosphorus from receiving waters.

The Nutrient Separating Baffle Box incorporates an aluminum screen basket with a horizontal bottom at an elevation below the water flow level of the pipe but just above the top of the baffles, which are attached to the bottom of the box.

How It Works
Incoming flow passes through the screen basket, which captures leaves, trash, and other large materials and prevents them from entering the Indian River Lagoon.

The baffles separate the sediment (soil, sand, muck) from the incoming flow and captures them in three chambers located at the bottom of the box.

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The 2nd Generation Nutrient Separating Baffle Box features a floating skimmer with a filter boom, which prevents any floating debris from exiting the box during periods of heavy rain storms and absorbs any chemicals or petroleum base products that enter the stormwater system.