State says penalties coming for Longboat Key sewage spill. Town says Sarasota Bay not hurt

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says enforcement action, including penalties, are coming in its investigation of Longboat Key’s 17-million-gallon sewage spill near Sarasota Bay.

“We expect to have enforcement actions, including penalties, finalized in the next week or two,” said Shannon Herbon, DEP spokeswoman.

The town of Longboat Key late last week says its environmental consultants found “no evidence” of any short-term impacts caused by the spill

The town’s only force main sewage line, which runs under the bay, broke around mid-June and continued to spill raw sewage for almost two weeks before it was discovered and reported to the state.

A press release issued by the town focused on one line of an extensive final report delivered by Environmental Science Associates, the town’s consultant, which has been conducting water testing since July 1.

“There was no evidence of even a short-term impact of the sewage leak on bacteria levels in Sarasota Bay,” the release states.

The conclusion is made despite test results showing high levels of bacteria related to feces in various parts of the bay.

Two of the sites tested showed levels of fecal coliform bacteria levels above acceptable levels for 14 days straight from July 1-15, according to the town’s own environmental report.

The also shows the same two sites as having levels of enteroccocci bacterial levels above acceptable standards from July 1 through about July 6, at one point six times higher than the acceptable levels.

DNA testing conducted about a month after the spill found traces of human feces in the water.

The town opted early on not to conduct any cleanup efforts, relying on the thick mangroves at the spill site, about 300 yards from the bay’s shoreline, to naturally clean the spill.

ESA’s final report on water quality testing was delivered to the town on Aug. 21.

In its conclusion, ESA notes that the spill site itself, within the mangroves, tested normal virtually throughout the sampling dates. However, DNA testing, “did not find evidence of humans as a source.”

“Perhaps due to the location of the leak occurring in the mangrove fringe, rather than the open waters of the bay, there was no evidence of even a short-term impact of the sewage leak on bacterial levels in Sarasota Bay,” The report states. “This likely would not have been the case if the leak had occurred in those sections of the pipe underlying the open waters of the bay.”

More than two months after the leak began and about seven weeks since it was repaired, the town still has not disclosed the cause of the break, noting in their release, “Forensic evaluations into the cause and extent of the force main leak are ongoing.”

Justin Bloom, founder of Suncoast Waterkeeper, is an environmental attorney specializing in prosecuting violations of the Clean Water Act.

Bloom was the first to report the spill to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Bloom said ESA has a solid reputation and he is reassured by the their conclusions.

“It appears that we were very fortunate that the spill was in the mangroves and not under the bay,” Bloom said. “It points to the important ecological value of mangroves, particularly the role they play in filtering and absorbing pollutants.”

Bloom said the “short-term” news is good news, but he expressed concern over the potential longer-term effects.

“I think there should be no doubt that the massive spill will have detrimental effects on the estuary, but we should keep in mind that no single source of pollution is responsible for what appears to be a significant deterioration of Sarasota Bay,” he said. “Sewage spills must be addressed but in context, we need to address many sources of pollution that are collectively contributing to the decline of water quality and habitat in our region.”

Florida DEP is still investigating the town’s delay in reporting the spill.

Herbon said they are still waiting to hear from town officials on the cause for the break. Herbon said DEP has received the town’s final report on the spill impact and, “We are now reviewing that information and incorporate it into the overall investigation.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 11:43 AM.