State environmental agency investigating raw sewage spill in John's Pass

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - Pinellas County officials said about 7,400 gallons of untreated wastewater was released from a manhole Tuesday night near John's Pass and now the state's environmental agency is investigating.

The county’s report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said a shovel caused a blockage that resulted in the spill, which lasted three and a half hours and flowed into the John’s Pass area of Maderia Beach.

Pinellas County Utilities officials said crews did what they could to clean it up and samples taken Thursday showed the water quality levels were back within the state’s standards.

Two of four samples that the county took Wednesday weren't, however, One sample was seven and a half times the state’s limits and the other was about two times higher. 

Crews posted precautionary signs to let people know.

As of Friday, though, county officials said there are no health concerns and recreational activities can resume, just in time for spring break. They’ve also taken down the precautionary signs from the area. 

Dr. Valerie Harwood, a professor in the department of integrative biology at the University of South Florida said the size of the spill relative to the amount of water flowing through John's Pass is "literally that amount of water is flowing through John’s Pass in a probably about a second." 

"So, the wastewater is getting diluted and transported out really quickly," Harwood said.

Harwood said there are a lot of sewage spills that happen every day across the country, but they may not happen in such a highly traveled tourist area like John’s Pass.

A spokesperson with the Florida DEP said in the next few days, Pinellas County Utilities will submit an incident summary report that DEP will use to help them review what happened. DEP will also determine if there were any violations.

The county is also subject to a consent order that allows the agency to determine if there should be any penalties for future spills, a DEP spokesperson said.