Steady rains take a toll on Manatee systems, cause road closures and sewage spills
A steady pattern of rainy weather in the Bradenton area is overwhelming local sewer systems.
County officials announced early Saturday morning that an underground stormwater pipe failure forced them to close a small segment of Ninth Street West near the DeSoto Square mall. A detour was set up for drivers to avoid the area.
A high volume of water appears to have caused a small amount of asphalt on either side of the roadway to crumble away. In a statement, county staff said the road would be closed until storm system repairs are completed.
Also in Bradenton, a raw sewage spill continued to flow through a subdivision Saturday morning. A City of Bradenton crew visited the area Friday and set up sandbags around a manhole to contain the spill, but a sewage cleanout in the 2700 block of 22nd Ave. W. continues to spill into the street, draining into a nearby stormwater drain.
Similar sewage failures have been reported throughout the week, such as a spill of 70,000 gallons of wastewater released near Oneco Elementary School on Wednesday. Smaller sanitary sewer overflow spills of greater than 1,000 gallons were reported on Thursday and Friday in Bradenton and Ellenton.
According to information submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, sanitary sewer overflow can happen when significant rainfall makes its way into the wastewater collection system, “resulting in overflows from these manholes at low points in the collection system.”
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service suggests that local wastewater systems will continue to be inundated by rain. There’s a 50 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms on Sunday, but the chance of rain drops to 20 percent Sunday night.
On Monday, storms will return after 2 p.m., with a 50 percent chance of rain, and there’s a 70 percent chance of rain on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
County emergency personnel urge citizens to avoid flood water whenever possible and to avoid tampering with sewage cleanouts. For more information, visit www.MyManatee.org/emergency.
