Sewage Pipe Repaired, Hudson Bayou Safe

A sewer pipe ruptured by a contractor Monday afternoon near a construction site for the new left station on Osprey Avenue near the Hudson Bayou is now repaired. The city said service was restored by 10:30 p.m. last night.

The city said preliminary environmental tests show no indication of fecal matter in the Hudson Bayou. Around 200 gallons of sewage may have made spilled into the bayou, the city said. 

Crews working on the lift station accidently damaged a 14-inch concrete pipe while working with heavy machinery near it. The flow of the forcemain was diverted into an adjacent 30-foot deep pit, which was part of the construction project. From there, the sewage water was pumped into trucks and delivered to the wastewater treatment plant, the city said. 

Environmental tests were conducted again this morning on the Hudson Bayou.While preliminary reports show no fecal matter in the bayou, the city will continue to monitor the water quality for 48 hours.

Westra is the contractor hired by the city to build a new lift station in nearby Luke Wood Park. The area where the break occurred has been closed to traffic since last month.  

The city notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as well as the Sarasota County Health Department and the State Warning Point about the spill. Health advisory signs are posted near the Hudson Bayou.