Affected water bodies drain into Hudson Bayou
On Sunday, April 12, about 300 gallons of raw wastewater overflowed from two manholes in the city of Sarasota, city staff has reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The first site was 1832 Seventh St.; the second was 600 N. Washington Blvd., the report noted.
Initially, the report explained, city “after-hours personnel responded to a report of an overflowing manhole” located at the intersection of North Washington Boulevard and Seventh Street. When they arrived on the scene, the report continued, they found the two affected manholes.
“Staff used shovels and dirt to contain wastewater accumulating along the [Seventh] Street curb,” the report said. They traced the mainline blockage to the manhole at the intersection of Seventh Street and North Osprey Avenue and cleared the obstruction by using the city’s vacuum truck, the report pointed out.
About 200 gallons of sewage flowed west from the manhole at 1832 Seventh St., along the curb, to the intersection of Seventh Street and Gillespie Avenue. “About 100 gallons entered the storm drain” at the intersection of Seventh Street and Gillespie Avenue, the report said, while the remaining 100 gallons was recovered with the vacuum truck.
The estimated 100 gallons of raw sewage that flowed from the manhole at 600 N. Washington Blvd. continued south along the gutter, the report added. That effluent collected “in the storm sewer catch basin at the entrance to the [Speedway] gas station,” the report noted, with approximately 100 gallons recovered.
“City staff applied lime to both affected areas, rinsed them down, and used the vac-truck to recover the material,” the report added. All recovered wastewater and material were disposed of at the city’s wastewater treatment facility, it continued.
Water samples were being taken in an effort to protect public health from exposure to the effluent, the report pointed out, as the affected water bodies drain into Hudson Bayou.
The incident began at 3:50 p.m. on April 12, the report noted; it was not resolved until 7:25 p.m. that day.