Effluent contained in pond at Lorraine Road site
On Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, Sarasota County Public Utilities Department staff notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) that approximately 78,000 gallons of raw sewage had flowed from the “headworks” into the pond on the site of the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility (WRF).
The spill was a result of action taken by contractors on the property, which is located at 5550 Lorraine Road in Sarasota, the report pointed out.
The incident came about two-and-a-half weeks after Sarasota County Government leaders celebrated the completion of the conversion of the facility to Advanced Wastewater Treatment status — and the expansion of its capacity by 50%.
The county report to FDEP did point out that the spill was short-lived; it began at noon and was resolved by 12:15 p.m. Moreover, since all of the effluent was contained on-site, no waterways were affected, so no sampling of water bodies was necessary to safeguard public health and safety, the report said.
The website of Lansdale Borough, Penn., explains of “headworks” that all wastewater entering a treatment facility “passes through a mechanically cleaned bar screen. The bar screen is made of parallel steel bars spaced about a quarter inch apart. It is designed to screen out rags, wood, plastics and other floating objects that could clog pipes or disable pumps if not removed.”
County staff explained in the report to FDEP that workers at the Bee Ridge WRF had opened hatches on the bar screens, which caused the screens to shut off automatically.
Clean-up of the site proceeded in accord with county protocol, the report noted.