Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • September 2016 | Page 43

by Thomas P. Butler,
St. Petersburg
UNHELPFUL STANCE
ON CONTRACTORS
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 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 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,
time-consuming 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.

SUCA

DON'T BLAME RAIN FOR
SEWAGE DISCHARGE

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SEPTEMBER 2016 • DITCHMEN

43