VILLAGE CONNECTION – Improving the Estero River
Many of the communities along Broadway Avenue were built before municipal water and sewer were available in Estero. As a result, many of these communities use groundwater wells to provide potable water and septic tanks or package wastewater treatment plants to dispose of wastewater.
The septic tanks and package wastewater treatment plants discharge bacteria and nutrients into the watershed that contribute to high levels of bacteria in the Estero River and high levels of nutrients in Estero Bay.
Groundwater Well Issues
• No fire hydrants within the community
• Poor water quality in some locations
• Wells run dry during drought
Septic Tanks Issues
• High groundwater table limits effectiveness
• Proximity to swales, ditches and rivers make them less effective
• Mounding required on new installations
Package Wastewater Treatment Plant Issues
• All existing plants are very close to ditches, ponds or rivers
• Provides treatment but not to river standards
• Concentrates relatively large flow to one location
• Disposal of effluent into groundwater table
Two of the communities that originally used package wastewater treatment plants, Riverwoods Plantation and Mariners Cover, have already decommissioned their plants and connected to the Lee County sewer system. The Village is now working with Cypress Bend and Sunny Groves to decommission their package wastewater treatment plants and connect them to Lee County’s wastewater system. Construction is ongoing and will be completed in early fall 2026.
The first construction projects to eliminate septic tanks are expected to start later this year along See See Street, Sandy Lane and Broadway Avenue West.
The Village will be tracking how each of these projects improve water quality in the Estero River through our network of water quality monitoring stations. The Village and Lee County both sample and test water monthly in the Estero River at 12 locations.
These are important steps toward improving water quality in the Estero River and Estero Bay.