Venice sewage incident leads to a discharge of 11,000 gallons into Hatchett Creek

COV

At approximately 1:15 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 15, a sewer spill occurred at the intersection of East Venice Avenue and Warfield Avenue North in the City of Venice due to a contractor’s pumping equipment failure associated with the Intracoastal Second Sewer Force Main Project.

An estimated 11,000 gallons of untreated domestic sewage were discharged onto the street, where it entered the stormwater system which discharged into Hatchett Creek. The spill was discovered by a plant operator while performing his duties at the Water Treatment Plant. City crews arrived at 1:50 a.m. and stopped the overflow at 2:10 a.m. A representative of Spectrum, the utilities contractor responsible for the project and pumping equipment, was at the site shortly after 3 a.m.

As part of the City’s environmental monitoring plan, bacteriological samples are being collected from the creek to assess potential impacts. Sewer spill signs have been placed at strategic locations near the spill to alert the public and reduce potential exposure risks. Immediate cleanup and mitigation measures were implemented, and all required notifications to regulatory agencies have been initiated.