Sewer line break spills wastewater into Cortez Road intersection, could spill into Palma Sola Bay

Those who use Cortez Road as part of their daily commute may have noticed a particularly strong smell and water flooding the corner of 66th Street West and Cortez Road on Tuesday morning.

Manatee County officials confirmed a main break that occurred overnight and not all the wastewater has been able to be contained.

Addressing Manatee County commissioners Tuesday morning, Utilities Director Mike Gore said a contractor replacing a force main – which was installed in 1976 – at the intersection struck the main around 10 p.m. Monday. It’s near the headquarters for the county’s utilities department.

The main serves the west side of Bradenton northwest over to Cortez Road and Anna Maria Island, Gore said.

Crews worked throughout the night to contain the overflow but, Gore said, they have been struggling.

“We’re in high hopes that by tonight, we’ll be able to valve part of that off. But you look a the general size of the area and the fact that it’s back-feeding from the southwest plant, which is one of the places we’re cutting the valve in on,” Gore said.

Tuesday morning, Manatee County Utilities Public Affairs Liaison Amy Pilson, wrote in an email to the Bradenton Herald that “the focus has been to make every attempt to stop the flow and to use pump trucks to remove what overflow is possible.”

She added that pump trucks typically take the collected overflow to a lift station nearby that is connected to another main.

Even so, not all of the wastewater was contained and officials have not been able to estimate the amount of overflow, according to Pilson.

Some of that overflow, Gore said, could go into Palma Sola Bay.

“We fully expect some of it will wind up in Palma Sola Bay, but we will deal with that. We’ve already reported it to the state. We don’t have numbers yet but wanted to make y’all aware of it,” Gore told commissioners.

He added that the county utilities department will monitor the areas they are expecting to be affected and will notify residents.

Water was still pouring into the intersection at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and crews are not able to make necessary repairs as long as the water is flowing. A portion of 66th Street West is blocked off at the intersection of Cortez Road.

Bradenton Herald staff writer Hannah Morse contributed to this report.

This story was originally published December 12, 2017 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Sewer line break spills wastewater into Cortez Road intersection, could spill into Palma Sola Bay."