Hurricane Prompted Sewer Overflows Under Investigation by State

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A rash of sewage overflows across the state in the wake of Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew have prompted Gov. Rick Scott to order an investigation. On Wednesday, Scott announced he has ordered the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to look into the issue that has cropped up in several regions across the state, including Tampa Bay.

“Florida is famous for our pristine environment, world-class beaches and award-winning state parks,” Scott said in a statement announcing the order. “We must do all we can to protect our natural resources to ensure everyone in our state has access to clean and safe water.”

DEP has been instructed to evaluate the overflows, determine what caused them and work with local utility authorities to find solutions that will prevent overflows in the future.

“I encourage utilities across the state to work with DEP to address this important issue since we know storms will continue to impact our state,” Scott said. “We will continue to aggressively make sure everyone has clean water to drink and can enjoy our beautiful waterways and beaches.”

Scott last month also ordered DEP to create an emergency rule that requires public notification of pollution incidents within 24 hours. That rule was put into place following a major sewage overflow in St. Petersburg and a sinkhole at Mosaic’s New Wales facility.

See also: Polluters Now Have 24 Hours to Tell Public, Gov. Rick Scott Says

The City of St. Petersburg is also facing a lawsuit under the federal Clean Water Act following the release of an estimated 150 gallons of sewage into Tampa Bay following Hurricane Hermine. Several environmental groups joined together to issue a 60-day notice of intent under the act.

The notice, filed Thursday, Sept. 29 comes from several environmental groups: Suncoast Waterkeeper, Our Children’s Earth Foundation and the Ecological Rights Foundation.

See also: St. Petersburg Facing Sewage-Related Lawsuit

“St. Petersburg’s recent extraordinarily large sewage discharges to Tampa Bay have caused serious human health risks and environmental damage,” a media release issued by the organizations alleges.

St. Petersburg has faced issues with its wastewater treatment plants being unable to keep up with heavy rain events for some time. The capacity issues have drawn heavy fire as has the city's decision to close down a treatment plant without first increasing capacity elsewhere. A whistleblower came forward saying a recent spill from the Northwest treatment plant, also related to Hurricane Hermine, was not as clean as city officials said. That spill involved 58 million gallons of sewage, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

It is unclear how soon DEP will begin its investigation.

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