News Summary
City of Tallahassee crews managed a significant release of untreated wastewater due to a force main leak at the T.P. Smith Water Reclamation Facility. Approximately 12,000 gallons of untreated wastewater flowed into stormwater catch basins. Despite traffic disruptions during cleanup efforts, officials confirmed no impacts to surface waters. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is assessing potential fines for previous sewage spills, raising concerns over the city’s wastewater management practices amidst ongoing environmental damage claims.
TALLAHASSEE – City of Tallahassee crews responded to a significant release of untreated wastewater on October 8, due to a force main leak at the T.P. Smith Water Reclamation Facility located on Capital Circle Northeast. The leak began at approximately 7:40 a.m., releasing around 12,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, which flowed into two stormwater catch basins.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a pollution notice regarding the incident. In response to the leak, crews managed to recover a total of 95,000 gallons during their cleanup efforts. The area impacted by the spill has since been cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized, and officials confirmed that there were no impacts to surface waters as a result of the incident.
While the cleanup was underway, traffic disruptions occurred along Capital Circle NE as repairs continued. The southbound lane from Care Drive to Capital Medical Blvd was closed for several hours. Additionally, westbound Centerville Road was reduced to one lane at Potts Road, causing further congestion in the area.
This leak follows a recent incident from October 3, when nearly 1,800 gallons of wastewater overflowed into a nearby stormwater ditch along Fleetwood Street. As a consequence of these issues, traffic on northbound Thomasville Road faced delays due to a stalled vehicle in conjunction with ongoing city construction work. The outside northbound lane of Thomasville Road at Killarney Way was also closed for about six hours for necessary underground utility work, leading to additional traffic delays.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is currently assessing the city of Tallahassee for a potential fine exceeding $45,000 related to sewage spills that occurred last year. This scrutiny comes after a consent order was issued, requiring the city to respond within 30 days. This order relates to reported spills totaling nearly 385,000 gallons of untreated wastewater between December 2, 2023, and December 31, 2024.
The city has cited extreme weather events, contractor errors, equipment failures, and breaks in lines as reasons for these overflows. Over the past five years, the city has invested $55 million in efforts to improve its wastewater management system. Notably, Tallahassee was previously fined $18,000 for a separate incident involving over 1.3 million gallons of sewage spillage in 2023.
Environmental advocates, including the Tallahassee Region Environmental Group, have expressed concerns over the city’s approach to sewage management. They are dissatisfied with the short-form consent order, calling for more comprehensive measures to address ongoing sewage system issues and highlighting the implications of persistent sewage leaks as evidence of deteriorating infrastructure.
Residents have also taken legal action against the city due to damages caused by sewage spills, with some having received settlements totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. These ongoing issues raise significant concerns regarding the management and accountability of the city’s wastewater systems.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Force Main Leak Release
- WTXL: Family Sues City Over Sewage Flooding
- Florida Phoenix: Sewage Spills in Florida
- Tallahassee.com: DEP Penalizes Tallahassee
- Tallahassee Reports: Pipe Burst Spill
- Wikipedia: Water Pollution in Florida
- Google Search: Tallahassee sewage management
- Google Scholar: Sewage spills Florida
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Wastewater
- Google News: Tallahassee wastewater spill
Author: STAFF HERE TALLAHASSEE WRITER
The TALLAHASSEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETallahassee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival, and LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Big Bend, plus leading businesses in education, healthcare, and insurance that power the local economy such as Florida State University, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, and Capital Health Plan. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HEREStPetersburg.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
