MELBOURNE — Construction is underway in Melbourne on what officials say will be the largest baffle box in the world, a project designed to trap pollutants before they reach the Indian River Lagoon.
The Apollo Boulevard baffle box will measure 30 by 31 by 24 feet — roughly the size of a small house.
“According to the manufacturer, Oldcastle, it will be the largest baffle box in the world,” Cheryl Mall, public information officer for the city of Melbourne, said in an email statement.
Mall explained that two types of engineering went into the project.
“The first was from the City's consultant, DRMP, who determined final placement and alignment within the ditch. They also permitted the box through the proper agencies to allow for the construction,” she said. “The second was done by Oldcastle. Their structural engineers determined the final size, shape, wall thickness, etc. for the box based upon the design criteria provided by DRMP.”
Baffle boxes are underground structures made up of chambers that trap trash, debris, and other pollutants from stormwater that flows into drains after heavy rains.
“Nutrient-separating baffle boxes like this one have an added feature that also removes nitrogen and phosphorus – the two most harmful pollutants going into the Indian River Lagoon,” Mall said.
The Apollo Boulevard project will treat stormwater draining from an 854-acre basin near General Aviation Drive. Mall said it will keep approximately 3,380 pounds of nitrogen and 479 pounds of phosphorus out of the lagoon each year, along with debris from roadways.
Polluted stormwater from the site currently flows into the lagoon untreated because the area was developed before modern stormwater systems were required.
“The City of Melbourne is installing baffle boxes and other stormwater treatment features in older neighborhoods like this one across the City to reduce pollution going into the Indian River Lagoon,” Mall said.
The Indian River Lagoon stretches more than 150 miles from Volusia County to Martin County, running through the entire Treasure Coast. The estuary, considered one of the most biodiverse in North America, has suffered severe impacts from stormwater runoff, seagrass die-offs, and fish kills in recent years.
Additional baffle box projects are also moving forward in Melbourne.
“There is one currently under construction on Cherry Street and U.S. 1,” Mall said, adding that another project is expected to begin soon on Espanola Way.
The Apollo Boulevard baffle box comes with a $2.1 million price tag. It is funded by a $1.26 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, $401,184 from Brevard County’s Save Our Indian River Lagoon half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016, and the city’s stormwater utility fund.