More than 600,000 gallons of reclaimed water spilled into St. Petersburg’s Lake Maggiore last week when a large pipe broke.
The spill happened on Aug. 8 in a canal that flows into the lake off of 22nd Street South. A total of 605,102 gallons were released over the course of 14 hours before the reclaimed water main could be shut down.
Last week, the city began monitoring water samples at the lake for elevated levels of nitrogen but did not find anything unusual, said John Palenchar, director of water resources for St. Petersburg. The water had been treated, so there was no threat of biological or bacterial pollution, he said.
Still, the state could fine the city $15,000 for the spill because St. Petersburg does not have a permit to release water into the lake, Palenchar said.
The pipe, which was from the 1970s, is being repaired. The city is in the process of replacing all of its aging water lines, Palenchar said.
Copyright 2021 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7
