Piney Point Update - May 18, 2021
DEP water sampling efforts continue in throughout Tampa Bay.
DEP's Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration conducted water quality sampling in Tampa Bay today. As part of the ongoing sampling efforts being conducted in coordination with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) and local governments, DEP continues monitoring dissolved oxygen and water clarity, while also assessing phosphorus and nitrogen levels in water.
Key status updates and response activities:
- 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.
- DEP has been managing water within the lined storage basins onsite to safely control water levels, respond to rainfall events and initiate water treatment.
- Approximately 196 million gallons remain in the NGS-South compartment.
- DEP continues to monitor and sample surrounding waterways following previous discharges. 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 also 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. 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.
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