Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that crews are currently working to avoid the collapse of a large wastewater pond in Tampa Bay while they evacuate the area to preempt a catastrophic flood.
According to PBS News Hour, Manatee County officials said the latest models demonstrate that a breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir is likely to gush out about 340 gallons of water in just a few minutes, endangering a 20-foot high-water wall.
The governor said, what they are looking now at present is attempting to prevent and respond to it, if need be, a real disastrous flood condition.
As part of the government's initiative, authorities have closed off portions of the United States Highway 41 and ordered evacuations of more than 300 homes. Some families were evacuated in local hotels.
County officials said, well water stays unaffected and they found no threat to Lake Manatee, the primary source of drinking water of the area.
High Phosphorous and Nitrogen Levels
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the water in the pound is mostly saltwater mixed with stormwater and wastewater.
As such, it has a high phosphorous and nitrogen level, not to mention, acidic. However, the agency added, it is not expected to be poisonous.
Crews have been releasing water since the pond started leaking this month. Late last week, a substantial leak that was discovered intensified the response and prompted the first evacuations, as well as a declaration of a state of emergency over the weekend.
A part of the containment wall in the reservoir lifted, leading to the officials thinking a collapse could take place anytime.
How High Phosphate Level Affects Water
A 2019 report from Healthy Ponds enumerated three results of high phosphate levels in the water. These include the fast growth of pondweeds, excessive pond scum, and endangered fish, frogs, and aquatic life.
Phosphates are a form of phosphorous naturally taking place in ponds and water features. Depending on the environmental factors surrounding the ponds such as fertilizer runoff and rainfall, among others, this nutrient's levels can vary.
When there is a surplus in phosphate level, the pond water loses clarity and turns out to be polluted by what's described as murky green overcast. The impacts of this buildup can become unhealthy to the fish, water, as well as aquatic organisms.
Pond Collapse in Florida
According to Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes, with new resources of the state, crews will be almost doubling the amount of water being released from the pond and taken to Port Manatee.
To date, roughly 22,000 gallons of water are being pumped out of the pond every minute, and according to Hopes, he is expecting the danger of collapse to decline by Tuesday.
Officials saw recently, an increase of water that leaks out but Hopes said it appears to have plateaued. Specifically, he said, looking at the water that has been eliminated and somewhat stability of the present breach, he thinks the team is much more comfortable now than they were previously. He added though, that "we are not out of the critical area yet."
Hopes explained he could not rule out that an entire breach could disrupt the walls of other ponds located at the Piney Point site.
Meanwhile, Noah Valenstein, the Florida DEP Secretary said, another pond was found to have higher levels of metals.
He specified the radiological is still lower than the surface water discharge standards. Therefore, again, the official said, this is not water they want to see leaving the site.
Sitting in Stacks of Phosphogymsum
The ponds are said to have been sitting in stacks of phosphogypsum, a solid radioactive byproduct from manufacturing fertilizer, as explained in Daily Kos. According to state authorities, the water in the breached pond is non-radioactive.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency said, excessive nitrogen in the wastewater leads to faster growth of algae, resulting in fish kills. Sam algal blooms can put humans to danger as well, if they come into contact with polluted waters, or if they eat contaminated fish.
Environmental groups have urged the federal government to step in to halt sending more wastewater to the existing 'gypsum stacks' and halting the generation of more phosphogypsum which is left behind when phosphate rock gets mined to generate fertilizer.
A similar report is shown on CBS News's YouTube video below:
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