Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • September 2016 | Page 14

STORM LEAVES
BAY WITH

Sewage Mess
by Thomas P. Butler
via Tampa Bay Times

The recent sewage
discharge into Tampa
Bay was a result of the
excessive rainfall, but only
indirectly. The primary
and more compelling
reason is a sanitary sewer
system that is in disrepair.
A properly functioning
sanitary sewer system will
not be adversely affected
by rainfall. (Stormwater
sewer systems operate
separately.) The fact
that rainfall increases
the volumes at water
treatment plants indicates
that the system is allowing
infiltration. Infiltration is
groundwater or rainfall

14

seeping into the sanitary
sewer system. This is
a problem that can be
fixed by having sanitary
sewer lines and manholes
repaired or replaced. If the
existing system is repaired
and/or replaced, it would
allow the existing water
treatment plants to just
treat sewage as they were
designed, and not treat
rainwater.
The article mentions that
the city of St. Petersburg
has struggled to find
contractors to do their
work. That may be a
problem of the city’s own
making. As the chairman
of the Suncoast Utility
Contractors Association, I

DITCHMEN • SEPTEMBER 2016

interact with many of the
utility contractors in Central
Florida. I cannot speak for
all utility contractors, but
those who are members
of SUCA have expressed
displeasure with some
of the ordinances and
requirements that the city of
St. Petersburg has enacted
over the past several
years. The city has made
bidding their work more
difficult, timeconsuming
and expensive. Additionally,
some of the recently
enacted contractor
requirements will raise the
cost of doing business with
the city and ultimately cost
the taxpayers more.

• • •