County crews able to recover only about 16,000 gallons
On Friday, April 19, about 48,000 gallons of sewage spilled close to the residence standing at 2611 Monterey St. in Sarasota after a 10-inch diameter force main broke, Sarasota County Public Utilities Department staff has notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Only about 16,000 gallons of the effluent could be recovered, the report said.
The site is a few blocks east of Phillippi Creek, south of Wilkinson Road and west of Swift Road, a map shows.
Notifications of surrounding property owners and residents, along with clean-up, were proceeding according to county protocol, the report pointed out. Since surface waters were affected, the report continued, sampling had begun in an effort to ensure public safety.
Further, the report said, “We have evaluated the pipe, and it appears there was a pressure wave that went through this segment. Staff will be evaluating lift stations that feed into this segment to narrow in on [the] cause.”
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains, “Force mains are pipelines that convey wastewater under pressure from the discharge side of a pump or pneumatic ejector to a discharge point. Pumps or compressors located in a lift station provide the energy for wastewater conveyance in force mains.”
The spill was reported at 7 a.m. on April 19, the report noted. Staff had resolved the immediate situation by 11 a.m., the report added.
The affected pipeline is part of the infrastructure associated with the county’s largest wastewater treatment plant, the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility, which stands at 5550 Lorraine Road in Sarasota.