County staff unable to recover any of effluent
Another malfunctioning air release valve (ARV) resulted in a spill of about 3,000 gallons of raw sewage at 2065 Constitution Blvd. in Sarasota on July 5, Sarasota County’s Public Utilities Department has reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
None of the sewage could be recovered, the report noted. With surface waters affected, the report continued, county staff was conducting water sampling. Phillippi Creek is just north of the location of the incident.
Additionally, clean-up procedures and notifications to surrounding residents and landowners were taking place according to county protocol, the report said.
On June 19, as The Sarasota News Leader reported, a malfunctioning ARV on South Lockwood Ridge Road in Sarasota resulted in approximately 25,000 gallons of raw sewage being spilled near Phillippi Creek.
In regard to the July 5 incident, staff was alerted to a possible sewage spill at 9:25 a.m., the report to FDEP added. Workers were able to isolate the ARV to stop the spill shortly after their arrival on the scene, the report continued, but it took until 3:10 p.m. that day to resolve the situation.
The site is east of U.S. 41 and just south of the intersection of Aquitania Place and Constitution Boulevard, a map shows.
As Crane Engineering explains, “Air release valves are installed at the highest points in a pipeline where air naturally collects. Air bubbles enter the valve and displace the liquid inside, lowering the liquid level. When the level drops to where it no longer buoys the float, the float drops. This motion pulls the seat away from the orifice, triggering the valve to open and vent the accumulated air into the atmosphere. As the air is vented, liquid re-enters the valve, once again buoying the float, lifting it until the seat presses against the orifice, closing the valve. This cycle automatically repeats as often as necessary to maintain an air-free system.”
The ARV involved in this incident is part of the infrastructure associated with the Central County Water Reclamation Facility, which stands on Palmer Ranch.
In such a longstanding fragile and ecologically beautiful and sensitive area, how inept must those in charge and involved be! In a previous life, the careless morons associated with such catastrophes would be fired immediately! Our tax dollars wasted again, and we’re just supposed to “Ho Hum” it away? Disgusting and despicable!!!