Advertisement

Editorial: When sewage flows, public should know

 
Published Oct. 8, 2015

The torrents of August that overwhelmed St. Petersburg's wastewater treatment system were extraordinary and unexpected. But when essentially untreated sewage dumps into the bay, the public deserves a broader health alert than warning 50 young sailors to take extra-hot showers. While juggling the capacities of various treatment plants in the future, Mayor Rick Kriseman needs to also establish a clear path for public warnings before the city's next bout with bacteria. Silence is not an option.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report quoted in Thursday's Tampa Bay Times found no violations of state law when St. Petersburg diverted 30 million gallons of untreated, partially treated or unfiltered sewage into Clam Bayou, Tampa Bay and onto the Eckerd College campus in August. Because Gov. Rick Scott had declared a state of emergency, normal restrictions on bay dumping did not apply. Details in the report are less reassuring.

The city dumped about 1.1 million gallons of essentially untreated sewage about a mile from where the St. Petersburg Yacht Club was about to hold a youth sailing class. Five hours after the lessons ended, an unnamed city employee called the club with the hot shower suggestion, the wildlife commission report says. No warning signs were posted near the marina or on the city's website. No news alerts went out. At Eckerd College, wastewater tanks exceeded capacity for days and sewage finally spilled onto the campus before city officials alerted college officials that trouble was brewing.

Though contamination never rose above "moderate'' levels and Kriseman fired his public works director, the wildlife commission report shows that St. Petersburg needs to repair more than its leaky sewer pipes. Next time, the mayor must be ready to inform the public. The silent treatment is not a winning public relations or public safety strategy.