City sewage spills into Sarasota Bay

About 14,000 of raw wastewater spilled into Sarasota Bay at Ringling Causeway Park on Monday morning, according to a report filed by the city of Sarasota with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

For comparison, an over-the-road tanker truck typically carries up to about 11,600 gallons of liquid, according to trucking data.

According to the report, city staff was called to the park on a report of water coming up from the ground. Staff found a “concrete vault over the 2-inch air release valve had shifted due to soil erosion, likely from the 2024 hurricane season, and broke the 14-inch x 2-inch saddle off the 14-inch force main.’’

The city repaired the break with a clamp, which stopped the flow of sewage into the bay.

Staff applied lime as a neutralizing agent, washed down the area and vacuumed the “spill remnants” before disposing of the material at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Water samples are being taken, and the area of the park has been posted with signs.

The city on Feb. 20 also reported the spill of about 55 gallons during work at a lift station. That spill was contained to a dry stormwater catch basin and similarly mitigated and vacuumed up for disposal.

On Feb. 14, Sarasota County reported the spillage of about 38,000 gallons in the woods in the 13000 block of Parkstone Way, in an eastern section of the county. The county reported to DEP that no groundwater was affected by the break in a 4-inch force main leak.