Estimates Lower For Lake Parker Sewage Spill Than First Thought

LAKELAND, FL— Lakeland officials say a sewage spill into Lake Parker Thursday, Aug. 16, wasn’t quite as bad as first thought.

Bill Anderson, director of water utilities for the city, said officials originally estimated that 500,000 gallons of raw sewage has drained into the 2,100-acre lake. That estimate has now been revised to 260,000 gallons.

Work crews were in the process of clearing tree stumps to create a new recreational trail on the west side of Lake Parker near the intersection of Valencia Street and Lake Parker Drive when they inadvertently pulled up part of a wastewater force main that burst. The pressurized main spewed thousands of gallons of sewage into the lake.

“Luckily, we’re prepared for this type of thing,” said Anderson. A contractor was immediately summoned to stop the leak and repair the force main.

The sewage emptied into a part of the lake that has about 100 feet of vegetation, said Anderson.

“Natural systems are wonderful cleansers for this type of pollution,” he said.

Over time, the vegetation will naturally cleanse the lake of any bacteria from the spill.

In the meantime, signs have been posted warning residents not to come in contact with the water in that portion of the lake and the Florida Department of Health has issued a health advisory. The bacteria can cause gastrointestinal problems, said Anderson.

The Florida Department of Health will continue to collect and analyze water samples and then remove the signs when the samples are free of bacteria.

Image via city of Lakeland

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