Septic leaks, fertilizer run-off targets of Lee water clean-up efforts

The legacy of the blue-green algae and red tide crises that hit Lee County last summer may be a realization that residents have a role in resolving the region's water problems just like big business, big government and big agriculture.

Runoff from septic systems and the use of fertilizer in rainy season send bloom-feeding nutrients into the water, making a mess of rivers, lakes, canals and the Gulf of Mexico. That problem drew attention from Lee County commissioners in separate, but related discussions Tuesday.

Commissioners decided not to have its lobbyists in Tallahassee press for legislation to restore a law enacted in 2010, and repealed two years later, requiring inspection of septic tanks.

Only Commissioner John Manning opposed lopping mandatory inspections from an update to the county's priorities for this year's legislative session.