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Another lagoon researcher said the water is often stagnant, allowing nutrients to build <br />up. <br />Much of the lagoon north of Fort Pierce is enclosed, and the Sebastian Inlet is too <br />small to flush it out adequately, said Grant Gilmore, senior scientist for Estuarine, <br />Coastal and Ocean Science, a Vero Beach research firm. <br />The county also has thousands of septic system s in low areas near the lagoon, which <br />itself is troublesome, LaPointe said. <br />In the coming year, a Harbor Branch student will trace the sources of the lagoon's <br />sewage. That will include looking at canals that link the lagoon to areas with septic <br />systems. <br />LaPointe and Franklin both say urbanization has dealt a double blow to the lagoon. <br />Marshes that captured and filtered runoff were replaced with subdivisions that drain <br />more waste into the lagoon, they say. <br />Franklin slows his boat as he cruises through a manatee protection zone not far from <br />his house. He grumbles that the slow zone is pointless because there are no more <br />manatees here. <br />"I'm 84, and they're not going to fix this in my lifetime," he said. <br />A law passed in 2010 required homeowners to inspect septic systems at their expense <br />every five years and called for health officials to ensure all 2.7 million systems statewide <br />were checked every five years. If serious flaws were found, such as leaky tanks, the owners <br />would have to repair or replace the systems_ <br />The law stirred an outcry. <br />Homeowners, tea party leaders and other cntics pressured the Legislature into repealing <br />the law in 2012. Counties were put in charge of inspections and can choose not to do them. <br />Indian River and St Lucie counties do no routine inspections_ Martin County inspects about <br />120 systems yearly, a fraction of its inventory. <br />12) 2013 Scripps Newspaper Group — Online <br />Z‘).2_619 <br />S7-61 <br />