St. Pete tries to get ahead of sewage, wastewater problems

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - Days of rain - with days of downpours expected this weekend - have many worried about if St. Pete's sewage and stormwater drainage system will be able to keep up.

The city was forced to dump partially treated sewage into the bay in the summer storms of 2016. Hoping to avoid a repeat of the situation, St. Pete launched a $305 million plan to overhaul the sewage system. 

Since then, the city added extra holding tanks as storage and emergency injection wells that they say safely discharges water deep into the earth's aquifer.

Bill Works, spokesman for St. Pete Public Works, says the city is ready for mother nature this weekend.

"Right now, we are basically doubled what we were during Hurricane Herminie as far as treatment and capacity so that's looking good,” Logan said.

City workers also spent most of the day Thursday clearing debris from storm drains.

Logan says the Public Works Department is asking residents to hold off on doing dishes, laundry, and excess showering as it strains the system.