Community Corner
$7M Approved For Sewage Plant Upgrades: St. Pete Officials
After shutting down during Hurricane Milton, St. Pete will spend $7M to add flood protection to two city sewage plants, officials said.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $7 million on two sewage treatment plant projects, according to a news release from the city.
The upgrades are planned at the Northeast and Southwest Wastewater Reclamation Facilities “to increase their resiliency before, during and after a natural disaster,” the city said. The projects are part of the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan.
Both sewage plants were shut down during Hurricane Milton in October because of potential storm surge.
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City council approved two $3.5 million proposals, one for construction services at each facility, from Wharton-Smith, Inc.
Both are coastal facilities with Northeast sitting about 5 feet above sea level and Southwest about 7 feet above sea level.
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Because of their locations, “sea level rise and storm surge could significantly impact the operation and long-term functionality” of it, the city said.
The project will provide additional flood protection, and electrical, instrumentation, and control resiliency measures at these sites.
The Northeast Water Reclamation Facility is already undergoing $70 million in renovations. Construction on this project started in 2023.
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