Fixing Longboat Key sewer leak may take ‘several days’ as sewage spills into Sarasota Bay

An unknown amount of sewage has been spilling into Sarasota Bay since Monday and the repair could take “several days,” according to the town of Longboat Key.

The underwater force mainline underneath Sarasota Bay is the town’s only sewer line to the Manatee County Wastewater Treatment Facility. The line is more than 40 years old, according to communication between town staff and elected officials.

The town has been discussing replacement since 2016. The anticipated $20 million project to replace the 4-mile line was delayed after inspections determined it was still in good condition at the time.

“Due to the emergency incident, the town urges ALL commercial, resort, and residential properties to minimize water/wastewater usage to control the amount of effluent moving through the (underwater) pipeline until the repair is completed,” the town announced on its website.

Town officials say the break does not affect irrigation lines and no one should cease using the water necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“The town recognizes that during this pandemic, recommended CDC sanitation measures, hand washing, sanitizing surfaces, etc. absolutely prevail. Please conserve water where possible beyond those protective measures. ... This emergency measure is especially important as the town expects an increased number of property owners and their guests on-island for the July 4 Holiday weekend.”

Town staff, contractors and the Manatee County utilities team are on site to, “mitigate impacts of this wastewater force main break, and perform necessary emergency repairs,” the website states.

The town will update the break’s status via their website at longboatkey.org.

A cause for the break, as well as its exact location is not yet known. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will assess the break and at some point estimate just how much sewage is spilling into the bay.