Community Corner
St. Pete Sewer Treatment Plant Offline Because Of Helene’s Storm Surge
City officials turned off power to the Northeast Sewer Treatment Plant because of Hurricane Helene's storm surge in St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The city turned off power at the Northeast Sewer Treatment Plant, 1160 62nd Ave. NE, Thursday night “to protect the plant from unprecedented storm surge” caused by Hurricane Helene, officials said in a news release.
The hurricane was forecast to bring 5 to 8 feet of storm surge to the Tampa Bay area.
The plant going offline affected residents and businesses north of 30th Avenue N. and east of Interstate 275/Haines Rad.
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Impacted residents and businesses shouldn’t drain water, take showers, do laundry or flush toilets. Draining water will cause sewage to back up into homes and businesses.
It will take a minimum of 48 hours to resume plant operations after it’s turned off, the city said. Staff will need to inspect the plant before it can be restarted to see if there are any needed repairs.
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Drinking water hasn’t been shut off and running water is still available.
“However, it is critical to not drain water out of sinks, tubs, or toilets,” the city said.
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