After outsourcing treatment plant operations, the city hopes federal funding will help fix its sewage spill issues.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: May 30, 2025
Host: When it comes to sewage spills, Bradenton has been the worst offender in the region. Now that the city has outsourced its wastewater management, it is trying to get a sense of what all of this will cost. Noah Vinsky has the details.
Noah Vinsky: The City of Bradenton outsourced operations of its wastewater treatment facility in March after a troubling last few years.
The Bradenton water reclamation facility at 1850 First St.
Operations were handed to Woodard & Curran, an engineering firm that specializes in water and environmental projects.
Now, the city council voted unanimously on Wednesday for that same firm to begin developing a plan to bring Bradenton’s wastewater system up to date. The plan says it will involve surveys and engineering reports as well as a search for sources of funding.
The city estimates it will cost $20 million each to revamp its stormwater, sewage and water systems.
The Environmental Protection Agency allocated $1.7 billion to Florida to address the impacts from last year’s hurricanes. Bradenton City Administrator Rob Perry said Woodard & Curran are particularly knowledgeable in obtaining this federal funding.
Rob Perry: When you look at what you have before us in the—face it—fix-it campaign, we have a variety of different shortcomings on aged utility that have to be repaired, replaced and remediated. That includes drinking water; it includes wastewater; it includes stormwater. They have the expertise in accessing federal funding.
A Suncoast Waterkeeper advisory notice following the spill in February 2024.
NV: Bradenton has been plagued by an outdated wastewater system for years. In 2022, the city settled a lawsuit from environmental advocacy groups over claims it dumped 160 million gallons of sewage into the Manatee River. It continued last year to spill over 50 million gallons of sewage after being overwhelmed by rain from Tropical Storm Debby.
But Perry now sees a silver lining from last year’s destructive hurricane season: access to federal funding to fix this crucial infrastructure.
RP: I hate to say this, but if it had not been for these horrific hurricanes that have been so terrible for the area, that funding probably would have not been available for this type of infrastructure improvement.
NV: The firm says the plan will take six months to complete once the city gives them the go-ahead. It says it will cost a maximum $150,000 to develop the plan.
Noah Vinsky, WSLR News.
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