Piney Point Update - April 28, 2021
Dive teams preparing to further assess repair efforts underwater.
Today, dive teams were deployed in the NGS-South compartment to inspect the stone aggregate and further assess repair efforts of the liner seam separation. The goal of this mission was to gain additional visual monitoring and install a pipe to place any future necessary stone aggregate. DEP continues to observe daily reductions in flow as a result of these repairs.
Key status updates and response activities:
- DEP has been methodically relocating water among the lined storage basins onsite to safely manage water, respond to rainfall events and prepare for water treatment. Water levels can be expected to fluctuate daily due to these water management activities, as well as evaporation.
- Discharges to Port Manatee ceased April 9, 2021, and have not resumed at this time. It remains DEP's priority, if possible, to ensure any future necessary discharges are pre-treated to minimize ecological impacts.
- Approximately 194 million gallons remain in the NGS-South compartment.
- DEP continues to monitor and sample surrounding waterways following previous discharges. At this time, bloom conditions have been observed in the localized area of previous discharges. To date, results have ranged from non-detect to trace levels of cyanotoxins. DEP's interactive water quality dashboard details sampling locations and corresponding results to evaluate any environmental impact. Results will continue to be posted as soon as they are available. DEP is working collaboratively with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) and local governments to cover more area and collect more data. For a comprehensive view of all sampling in Tampa Bay related to Piney Point, visit TBEP's interactive water quality dashboard.
- DEP continues working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Florida Department of Health to monitor algal blooms and water quality in the area. Currently, FWC sampling results in the localized area of discharges in Manatee County remain within the range of non-detect to low concentrations of K. brevis (a species of red tide).There are no reported fish kills in this area. FWC is the lead agency on red tide and will continue to update conditions on their website. For more information on red tide, please visit ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov.
Residents can find the latest information on the status of the site and response activities at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate.
Dive teams preparing to further assess repair efforts underwater.
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