County staff to pursue recovery of expenses from contractor handling lift station project
A rupture in a discharge hose at a Sarasota County lift station on Feb. 3 led to the spill of approximately 3,000 gallons of raw sewage, county Public Utilities staff has reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Workers were able to recover about 3,000 gallons of a mix of stormwater and sewage at the site, which was identified as 15250 Pajaros Drive in Laurel, near Venice, county staff added. That address is the site of the county’s Bellacina No. 1 Lift Station, the FDEP report noted.
An employee of the contractor that had handled the recent construction of that lift station observed a sanitary sewer overflow about 7:45 a.m. on Feb. 3, the report explained.
“Upon investigation,” the report continued, “the contractor determined that the discharge hose on the developer’s bypass pump had ruptured. In response, the contractor shut off the bypass pump and activated the permanent lift station pumps, stopping the spill” by about 8 a.m.
“Approximately 3,000 gallons of wastewater spilled onto the ground” and into the adjacent storm drains, the report pointed out. After as much of the sewage was recovered as possible, the report said, cleanup of the affected area and notifications about the incident for surrounding property owners and residents were “proceeding per protocol.”
Since none of the sewage flowed into surface waters, the report noted, water sampling would not be necessary.
Sarasota County’s Risk Management staff would be notified, the report pointed out, so that staff could work with the contractor on the “associated financial recovery.”
As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains, “Wastewater lift stations are facilities designed to move wastewater from lower to higher elevation through pipes. Key elements of lift stations include a wastewater receiving well (wet-well), often equipped with a screen or grinding to remove coarse materials; pumps and piping with associated valves; motors; a power supply system; an equipment control and alarm system; and an odor control system and ventilation system.”
The lift station where the spill took place is part of the infrastructure associated with the county’s Venice Gardens Water Reclamation Facility’s service area, the report added.