MANATEE COUNTY – With crews working tirelessly to drain contaminated water from the Piney Point facility – officials are saying the threat of catastrophic flooding is diminishing.
Manatee County residents can breathe a sigh of relief after county officials lifted the evacuation order; and having a promise of a long-term solution to this never-ending saga at the Piney Point facility.
“This is very much under control now the risk has been lessened to the point that people will be able to return to their homes,” said Manatee County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes. “Well water – drinking water is safe.”
Officials say there’s still currently 300 million gallons left to pump. There were around 480 million when the leak began last week. The controlled release will lessen the chance of a full breach and hopefully stop millions of gallons of water from spilling into nearby homes and businesses.
“The goals moving forward ensure the safety of the public and the staff working to mediate the situation, property conservation, finish deploying pumps and other mitigation efforts to remove as much water from the reservoir as possible to avoid structural collapse,” said Jake Saur Manatee County Public Safety Director.
There are now 26 pumps and 10 vacuum trucks in place to drain millions of gallons of the water into Port Manatee along the southern shore of Tampa Bay.
“Our focus continues to be assisting on preventing uncontrolled release of water,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein. “Again our science team has worked nonstop around the clock along with our engineers to ensure that the directed release is going into the area with the least possibility of environmental impact.”
More than 300 homes and multiple businesses in the area around Piney Point were evacuated. Their next step will be to bring in a submersible vehicle that can inspect and possibly repair the lining of the pond.