Tallahassee citizens should demand transparency amid rising sewage spill concerns

J. Terry Ryan
·3 min read
2

Since 2017, the Tallahassee Sewage and Wakulla Basin Advocacy Group has found that although the number of annual spills decreased since 2008 from a high of 300+ spills, the volume has become alarmingly high.

A main break along a central thoroughfare in northeast Tallahassee is leading to road closures and major repairs after an unknown amount of sewage spilled into the roadway and nearby retention ponds over the span of two hours.
A main break along a central thoroughfare in northeast Tallahassee is leading to road closures and major repairs after an unknown amount of sewage spilled into the roadway and nearby retention ponds over the span of two hours.

In 2023, out of 15 sewage spills so far, we have witnessed these large spills associated with likely aging infrastructure or faulty/inadequate equipment:

  • 183,000 gallons: break in line

  • 40,000 gallons: equipment issues

  • 105,700 gallons: break in line

Then the 1-million-gallon sewage spill event in October due to a break in line.

In 2022, out of 22 sewage spills we saw:

  • 510 gallons: break in line

  • 5,800 gallons: break in line

  • 190,000 gallons: break in line

This comes from Florida Department of Environmental Protection Quarterly Sewage Spill Data summarized since 2000 at:  www.multi-fin.com)

Does anyone else feel we have an aging sewage collection system with deteriorating clay and iron piping and faulty equipment?

The recent 1-million-gallon spill event on Capital Circle Northeast also led to our advocacy group learning over 1,800 linear feet of concerning pipe exists below Capital Circle Northeast with no definite plans to replace.  Our request to have a “seat at the table” investigating this sewage spill, plus, an on-going infiltration study of leaky pipes citywide, has gone unanswered.

A fish consumption advisory on Lake Munson, as seen on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022 in Tallahassee, Fla.
A fish consumption advisory on Lake Munson, as seen on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022 in Tallahassee, Fla.

Tallahassee has three Class III recreational lakes into which various major storm water ditches flow (Lakes Jackson, Munson, and Lafayette) as does sewage spills. I am not familiar with how other counties dispose of their sewage spills. However, I do not think the environmentally conscience Tallahassee is OK with any amount of raw sewage flowing into recreational lakes.

Is 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 100,000, 200,000, 500,000, 1 million gallons OK, Tallahasseans, city and county commissioners? I think not.

Also, other than witnessing regular harmful algal blooms which cause human and pet major skin and respiratory medical issues, we are unaware how much sewage flows to the three lakes. That is, the city’s Environmental Regulatory and Underground Utilities departments refuse to sample at the in-flow of each lake as sewage spills occur, or, analyze the levels of not only E.coli but, also, the myriad nutrients and toxic contaminants.

Lake Lafayette
Lake Lafayette

Is the city afraid of what they will find? We are. The latest request being the 1-million sewage spill event which flowed into Weems Pond on the way to Lake Lafayette. City sampling analysis for the 1-million-gallon sewage spill event showed an increasing trend at the Weems Pond Outfall, so, we’ll never know how much sewage went into Lake Lafayette. Thankfully, Leon County’s Science Advisory Committee’s (SAC) most recent meeting found support for more testing during sewage spill events leading to our Class III recreational lakes.

These concerns continue our calls for more city transparency on enforcement consent orders, sewage spills, contaminated sites around town and other issues.

We urge citizens to sign our Lake Munson Restoration Petition (https://www.change.org/RestoreLakeMunson) and join our Facebook page for regular updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/412536726345011

J. Terry Ryan is co-founder of the Tallahassee Sewage and Wakulla Basin Advocacy Group.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: The rise of sewage spills: Is Tallahassee's infrastructure to blame?