10,000 Gallons Of Sewage Spilled Into Riviera Bay: St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — About 10,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into Riviera Bay on Saturday afternoon.

The spillage happened between 5 and 7 p.m. while a crew worked to fix a sewer line break in the 8400 block of Tallahassee Drive NE, according to a news release from the city of St. Petersburg.

While the wastewater discharge has been contained, crews continue to work on the 24-inch water main. Repairs should be done by Tuesday, the city said.

People are asked to avoid Riviera Bay until the repairs and water quality testing are completed.
Intermittent road closures are expected at the San Martin Boulevard NE Bridge while the work is underway.

During repairs, sewage is being captured as it leaks from the pipe. A pit lined with sandbags is being used to catch the wastewater and vacuum trucks are pulling the sewage from the pit, preventing additional leakage into the bay, the city said.

All sewage vacuumed from the containment pit is being trucked away for full treatment in the city’s wastewater facilities.