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City ratifies $116,328 emergency purchase after Wastewater Plant 2 overflow leak; DEP notified
Summary
City staff reported a leaking overflow at Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 that allowed partially treated water to escape toward Lake Conan. The city pumped the pond, trucked effluent to Plant 3, contracted a centrifuge from Synagrow and seeks ratification for an emergency $116,328 purchase.
City staff told commissioners on March 18 that an overflow structure in a pond at Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 began leaking, allowing partially treated water to migrate toward Lake Conan. The department reported the incident to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and described emergency work to stabilize plant operations.
Staff said the overflow structure required sealing, which forced plant managers to bring more water back into treatment systems than Plant 2 could handle. To prevent breaching downstream systems and to assist Plant 3 biological processes, the city trucked partially treated effluent from Plant 2 to Plant 3 and engaged Synagrow to supply a centrifuge that helps separate solids and ease treatment. The city’s emergency procurement for the centrifuge totaled $116,328; staff sought ratification of that emergency purchase during the agenda review.
Staff reported that both plants have stabilized and the centrifuge remains in operation at Plant 3 while biological conditions normalize. “Happy to say everything is leveled out at this point at both plants,” staff reported in the meeting.
Why it matters: leaks of partially treated wastewater can pose environmental and regulatory risk; staff notified the DEP and took immediate remedial steps. Commissioners were informed of the procurement amount, the mitigation approach and that regulatory notification had occurred.
Follow-up and transparency Staff committed to provide any required follow-up reports to regulators and to the commission. The transcript records staff seeking ratification for the emergency procurement; no formal vote was recorded in the agenda-review meeting minutes, which is consistent with this being an informational/ratification item prior to the formal meeting.
Quote “Happy to say everything is leveled out at this point at both plants,” staff said after describing the emergency response.
Ending Staff will bring the formal ratification item and any regulator correspondence to the commission at the subsequent meeting for documentation and record.
