Broken pipes spill 15,000 gallons of sewage into Lakewood Ranch neighborhood, state says

As many Bradenton area residents were starting off the day planning for the big game on Super Bowl Sunday, one Lakewood Ranch neighborhood had to deal with 15,000 gallons of raw sewage flowing down their street.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which issued a public notice of pollution on Monday, the spill was reported around 8:45 a.m. in the 7000 block of Portmarnock Place in the Lakewood Ranch subdivision of Vilamoura.

Three manholes on the roadway were found to be overflowing with sewage. DEP reports an unknown amount entered into the stormwater drainage system, affecting nearby bodies of water.

“Wastewater Compliance staff will be conducting an investigation ... to determine any impact to surface water,” the report states.

DEP is blaming the spill on broken pump riser pipes at a nearby lift station.

Three tankers and two jet vacuum trucks were dispatched to lower the level of sewage building up in the collection system and a bypass pumping system was put in place to keep service going until repairs were made.