City of St. Petersburg, FL

09/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2024 20:54

URGENT NOTIFICATION: Northeast Sewer Treatment Facility is Now Offline Due to Impacts from Hurricane Helene Storm Surge, Sewer Services Affected

URGENT NOTIFICATION: Northeast Sewer Treatment Facility is Now Offline Due to Impacts from Hurricane Helene Storm Surge, Sewer Services Affected

September 26, 2024 - The City of St. Petersburg made the difficult decision to turn off power at the Northeast Sewer Treatment Plant (1160 62nd Avenue NE), to protect the plant from unprecedented storm surge.

Residents/businesses located north of 30th Avenue N and east of I-275/Haines Road are impacted by this situation. See attached map for reference. Please note, this is the only facility the City anticipates being affected by storm surge. Impacted residents/businesses should not drain water, take showers, do laundry, or flush toilets. Draining water will cause sewage to back up into homes/businesses.

Why did this happen?

Due to the high levels of storm surge and to ensure the safety and sustainability of sewer services post-storm, the City temporarily shut down the sewer treatment plant in the affected area.

How long will sewer service be impacted?

It will take at least a minimum of 48 hours to resume plant operations after it's turned off. City staff will need to carefully inspect the plant to be sure it can be safely restarted and make any repairs if necessary before resuming operations.

Key Information for affected residents:

  • Timing: It will take at least minimum of 48 hours to resume wastewater operations after inspections and repairs are completed.

  • Sewer Service: Drinking water has NOT been shut off. Running water is still accessible. However, it is critical to not drain water out of sinks, tubs, or toilets. Draining water may cause sewage to back up into homes.

Important guidelines for affected residents:

  • DO NOT drain water from sinks or bathtubs.

  • DO NOT flush toilets.

  • DO NOT use showers, bathtubs, dishwashers, or washing machines.

  • DO fill up water bottles in advance and brush your teeth outdoors or over a container.

  • Any water that goes down the drain could cause your sewer system to back up, leading to additional complications in your home/business.

What is the City doing?

  • Informing impacted residents/businesses of the sewer service disruption.

  • St. Pete Fire Rescue made contact with all special needs facilities in the impacted area.

  • Crews are monitoring impacts to the plant and standing by to resume service as soon as possible.

Stay informed:

  • Sign up for Alert St. Pete at pinellas.gov/alert. View the latest storm information from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov.

  • Follow @StPeteFL on social media channels for storm updates specific to St. Pete.