Clearwater Sewage Spill Reported

CLEARWATER, FL — A problem at pump station located on McMullen Booth Road is being blamed for a Tuesday sewage spill in Clearwater involving an estimated 150,000 gallons.

The city of Clearwater reported the spill Wednesday, following Gov. Rick Scott’s new notice of emergency rule. That rule, enacted earlier this week, mandates 24-hour notification following a pollution event, such as a sewage spill.

The city said one of its lift station mechanics went to check on the station at 1308 McMullen Booth Road around 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27. When the mechanic arrived, “he found a sewage spill in progress,” the city noted in an email to media.

Following that discovery, the city researched its pump station run times and flow rates, along with Northeast Wastewater Reclamation Facility flow data, to estimate the size of the spill.

“We believe that the spill started at 4 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m. Tuesday,” the email said. That estimation led the city to the 150,000-gallon spill approximation.

A force main pipe or fitting failed below the concrete slab, the city said.

“When we had the failure, sewage flowed over land and onto the adjacent property where one duplex home is located,” the email noted. “From there it flowed into Alligator Creek. Once the spill was discovered, we immediately stopped it by isolating and de-energizing the pump which was connected to the broken force main.”

The city has notified appropriate government agencies and has attempted to notify the duplex’s owners. The duplex structure, however, was not affected, the city noted.

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