Wastewater pond threatens to collapse

PALMETTO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond in the Tampa Bay area while evacuating the area to avoid a “catastrophic flood.”

Manatee County officials say the latest models show that a breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir has the potential to gush out 340 million gallons of water in a matter of minutes, risking a 20-foot-high wall of water.

“What we are looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to, if need be, a real catastrophic flood situation,” DeSantis said at a news conference after flying over the old Piney Point phosphate mine.

Authorities say 316 homes have been evacuated and some families were placed in local hotels. A local jail in the area is not being evacuated but they are moving people and staff to the second story and putting sandbags on the ground floor.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the water in the pond is primarily saltwater mixed with wastewater and stormwater. It has elevated levels of phosphorous and nitrogen and is acidic, but not expected to be toxic, the agency says.

Manatee County officials have been discharging water since the pond began leaking in March. On Friday, a significant leak was detected that escalated the response and prompted the first evacuations and the declaration of a state of emergency Saturday. A portion of the containment wall in the reservoir shifted, meaning a collapse could occur at any time.