In order to properly warn the public of a spill,

signs like the one above, are posted at each spill location

 

TS Debby’s heavy rainfall kept city crews busy

While Tropical Storm Debby may not have had the wind of many storms, it certainly had the rain, and it was that rain that kept city crews busy in locations where rainwater inundated the city’s sanitary sewer system. The heavy downpours, a total of 7.72 inches in less than three days, required around the clock attention during the height of the rainfall in response to overflows in several locations of the sewer system. The overflows occurred during the heaviest periods of rain on the weekend of June 23-24 and again through until Thursday, June 26.

The city maintains a rapid response team for just such incidents and during TS Debby, credit goes to that team for minimizing the impact. Crews with pumper trucks were dispatched to locations where overflows were anticipated, but the extraordinary amount of rain caused an in-flow into the sanitary sewer system overtaxing its capacity at six locations:

• Oglethorpe Blvd. at Arredondo Ave.;
• St. Augustine Blvd. at Inlet Dr.;
• Pine St. between San Marco Ave. and Abbott St.;
• Macaris St. at Douglas Ave.;
• Cordova St. at St. Francis St.; and
• the Wastewater Treatment Plant at the southern end of Riberia St.

Crews captured and removed nearly 1.4 million gallons of wastewater /rainwater from the sites preventing backups into homes or discharges into waterways.

Following strict protocols for such overflows, signs were posted at each location where surface water bodies have been affected to warn the public of the event, whether they happen to be boating or fishing. Additionally, water samples are taken at each location and if contamination is found, then the signs will remain in place until the water is safe in accordance with state criteria. Generally, depending upon the size and location of the spill, it could take up to a week for the levels return to normal.

At no time during TS Debby was the city's drinking water in any danger as only surface water (i.e. runoff water, streams, etc.) came in contact with the waste water.

In a follow-up review of the city’s practices after the storm, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection compliance inspectors deemed the city’s actions appropriate and in compliance.

For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 904.825.1040.

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