Sarasota, Florida, Contains an Approximate 48,000 Gallons of Untreated Sewage Spill

Approximately 48,000 gallons of untreated sewage spilled into a drainage canal in Sarasota’s Park East neighborhood on Sept. 1.

According to the city, workers were able to contain almost all of the spill, reported The Herald Tribune.

This spill was the second major spill in a week, with the first occurring Aug. 26, releasing approximately 340,000 gallons of wastewater into the city’s storm drainage system. The sewage entered the same canal as the second spill. The first spill occurred due to a pressurized pipe burst near Shade Avenue and 8th Street, reported The Herald Tribune.

“Examination of the pipe revealed the pipe ruptured due to corrosion, which is somewhat unusual given the age of the pipe,” said city utilities director Bill Riebe about the Aug. 26 sewage spill. According to The Herald Tribune, the pipe was installed approximately 45 years ago.

The recent spill was caused by a manhole for the city sewer’s system collapsing, reported The Herald Tribune. According to Riebe, sewage flowed out of the manhole and then entered the adjacent drainage ditch.

According to the city, its workers put dirt dams in the canal to contain the spill, pumping the water into tanker trucks and then transporting it to the city’s wastewater plant. Riebe added that the city contained "all but a few thousand gallons of the wastewater," reported The Herald Tribune. The spill occurred at Vilas Avenue and 11th Street.

Additionally, the city notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health and is in the process of investigating the cause of the manhole failure.

Previously, the City Commission approved a utilities master plan in 2019 which increased utility rates to pay for system upgrades. The city's aging water and sewer infrastructure has been upgraded since then, reported The Herald Tribune.