Largo settles wastewater lawsuit over concerns of pollution in Old Tampa Bay Zachary T. Sampson, Tampa Bay Times
Largo officials have committed to improving their wastewater system in a settlement with environmentalists who sued over concerns about the city polluting Tampa Bay.
The agreement aims to reduce the amount of contaminants, including nitrogen, released from the city to Old Tampa Bay around Feather Sound. Nitrogen is a nutrient that in excess can fuel algal blooms damaging to seagrass beds a crucial part of the estuary.
City officials are vowing to upgrade treatment systems, including a $53 million project at a local plant, and to make fixes that limit sewer overflows. Some work was planned before but could be accelerated or expanded under the settlement.
Will the Piney Point spill affect tourism this summer?
While the long term impacts of the spill have yet to be seen, the areaâs popular beaches have not been impacted and visitor numbers have stayed the same, county leaders said.
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Aerial drone image of the Anna Maria Island Beach with surrounding homes pictured on Friday. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
When the story went national, Captain Scott Moore began fielding calls.
After millions of gallons of wastewater was released from the old Piney Point phosphate plant into Tampa Bay, tourists wanted to know if it was still safe to visit. They called Moore, who has been a professional fishing guide on Anna Maria Island for 40 years, asking if they would be able to swim and fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
Teams of scientists are keeping a close watch on the bay as they work to understand the impacts of so much polluted water flowing into the ecosystem.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials authorized the release of roughly 215 million gallons of wastewater from the Piney Point facility starting March 31 in an emergency response to a leak in a containment pond liner. That leak eventually became a breach, led to the evacuation of hundreds of Manatee County residents from their homes and businesses, local and state-level emergency declarations and the mobilization of a $200 million effort to close Piney Point once and for all.
UF Collaborates with Ocean Conservancy to Research Discharge in Tampa Bay
Gainesville, Fla. – Scientists in the University of Florida’s newly established Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and collaborators from the Ocean Conservancy are researching and tracking the ecological effects of the Piney Point reservoir leak into Tampa Bay.
Over the past week, millions of gallons of wastewater were discharged into Tampa Bay, which could cause algal blooms among other effects, leading to the depletion of marine life.
The collaborative effort will identify where critical research gaps exist in current plans. Since the formation of the partnership Elise Morrison, Ph.D., an environmental engineering sciences assistant professor, in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) has collected samples to analyze per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) substances and any other emerging contaminants. Andrew Altieri, Ph.D., an environmental engineering sciences
The state expects to put more than $115 million toward closing the site of a former phosphate plant where a reservoir leak set off a wastewater crisis in Manatee County.