Sarasota Sewage Spill Dumps 340K Gallons Of Wastewater Into Bayou

SARASOTA, FL — After a pipe failure near Shade Avenue and 8th Street, about 340,000 gallons of wastewater were released into the city of Sarasota’s storm drainage system, including Whitaker Bayou.

Crews from the city’s utilities department responded immediately after the 16-inch diameter pressurized pipe burst around 9:30 p.m. and began cleaning up affected areas, the city said in a news release.

The pipe back in service by early Saturday afternoon and cleanup was completed by late Saturday evening.

“Examination of the pipe revealed the pipe ruptured due to corrosion which is somewhat unusual given the age of the pipe,” Bill Riebe, utilities director, said. “The pipe was installed approximately 45 years ago. The expected lifespan of similar pipelines is approximately 70 years. The rupture certainly was unexpected.”

Utilities department technicians and engineers are evaluating the entire pipeline to determine if the corrosion is isolated to that failed section, the city said. Following the evaluation, sections of the entire pipeline will be replaced if needed.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Health were notified following the sewage spill.

The public should avoid contact with water in the Whitaker Bayou until further notice, the city said. Health advisory notices were placed at the location of the spill by the DOH in Sarasota County.

Water samples were collected from the city’s stormwater drainage system Saturday morning. Water in the stormwater system will be monitored until water quality returns to natural background levels. Results of samples collected on Sunday indicate water quality is approaching natural background levels, the city said.