City of Tallahassee recovers over 50,000 gallons of sewage that overflowed, DEP says
The City of Tallahassee recovered 51,000 gallons of "untreated domestic wastewater" Monday afternoon that overflowed in east Tallahassee, following a water line burst at the main facility just hours before.
That's roughly the equivalent of 2 ½ backyard swimming pools.
According to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection pollution notice, the spill came from a mechanical failure at the T.P. Smith Water Reclamation Facility. The sewage spewed out near the intersection of Capital Circle Southeast and Blair Stone Road.
"Surface waters were not impacted and there is no threat to public health," DEP said. Crews cleaned, disinfected and deodorized impacted soils, according to the release.
Earlier that same morning, a plant service water line burst at the facility on Springhill Road, losing 62,000 gallons of treated water — roughly the equivalent to three backyard swimming pools — that are usually used for on-site irrigation and other operations, according to another FDEP pollution notice.
"No plant service water entered the stormwater system or had impacts to surface waters," the notice says. "There is no threat to public health."
The city had no further comment but a spokesperson emphasized that the second incident involved treated water.
Latest Tallahassee sewage spill comes after fine
This wastewater overflow comes almost two months after DEP issued a second fine to the city for major sewage spills in 2023.
Tallahassee was fined $18,000 for spills between July 1, 2023, and Dec. 1, 2023, according to a letter to the city from the state.
Most of the fine was attributed to a main break along a central thoroughfare in October 2023 that sent roughly 970,000 gallons of sewage into the lanes of Capital Circle Northeast between Automotive Way and Mahan Drive — the largest spill since June 2016.
Tallahassee incurred a total of almost $45,000 in fines the numerous incidents last year that led to more than 1.3 million gallons of sewage. That's enough to fill the tank – and then some – of an average municipal water tower.
In a statement provided to the Tallahassee Democrat addressing the fines, Dave Roberts, Assistant General Manager of Underground Utility & Public Infrastructure (UUPI) for the city, said over the last five years, the city has invested roughly $15 million a year to its gravity sewer rehabilitation program.
“Since 2008, the City’s wastewater system has achieved a 90% decrease in sewer spills and dedicates ample resources to ensure the continued effective management, operation, and proactive maintenance of this vital infrastructure and compliance with regulatory standards, thus making the system one of the best performing wastewater systems in the state."
Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: City of Tallahassee recovers 50,000 gallons of sewage that overflowed
