The ’24 storm season laid bare infrastructure deficits that could cost billions to remedy.
Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight
Original Air Date: Feb. 28, 2025
Host: Meet the Suncoast Searchlight. This new Sarasota-based investigative non-profit newsroom has begun to crank out original reporting, and WSLR News partnered with them to bring it to radio. In his first report for the Searchlight, Josh Salman is shedding light on recent sewage spills.
Suncoast Searchlight logo.
Joshua Salman: This past hurricane season, the Suncoast faced the wrath of three major storms. Beyond the immediate damage, Debby, Helene and Milton exposed critical weaknesses in our region’s infrastructure. Heavy rains and storm surges poured into aging sewer systems, leading to spills of nearly 180 million gallons of waste into local waterways from up to the Manatee River down to Sarasota Bay. To put that into perspective, that’s enough to fill 270 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The consequences were immediate and severe. Residents reported dead fish washing ashore, health officials issued beach advisories and local tour operators were forced to suspend activities. These events underscore the fragility of our outdated sewage infrastructure, which has struggled to keep pace with both population growth and the increasing frequency of severe weather events.
Environmental advocates have long sounded the alarm about this issue. Katie Bauman, Florida policy manager for the Surfrider Foundation, points out that aging sewage systems are further strained by climate change such as rising sea levels and increased flooding. She noted these problems often remain “out of sight, out of mind” until a catastrophe occurs.
Addressing these infrastructure deficiencies comes with a heavy price tag. Officials estimate that modernizing the sewage systems across the Suncoast could cost billions of dollars. Some municipalities are beginning repairs—prompted in part by environmental lawsuits—but the efforts have been insufficient. The region’s population has doubled over the past three decades, now approaching one million residents, all contributing to the strain on systems never designed to handle such a capacity.
Bob Bunting, chief executive of the Climate Adaptation Center in Sarasota, says several challenges are piling on each other. He points out that climate change has intensified storms, leading to heavier rainfall, which, combined with rapid population growth, really creates a “recipe for disaster.”
The City of Bradenton serves as a case study. During Hurricane Debby, the city’s wastewater facility, designed to handle about nine million gallons a day at maximum, was overwhelmed instead by over 25 million gallons. That resulted in significant spills into the Manatee River. Mayor Gene Brown acknowledges the situation. He says that the aging systems are prone to breakdowns, and addressing them is a priority. But he also emphasizes the financial constraints and notes that this isn’t a problem the area can just tax its way out of.
The environmental damage of these sewage spills is profound. Nitrogen-rich wastewater fosters algae blooms which deplete oxygen in the water and lead to fish kills. Tour operators like Dave Metcalfe, who owns of Sharkey’s Glass Bottom Tours in Sarasota and St. Pete, have witnessed the decline firsthand. He says about a fifth of his business last year had to be cancelled due to worsening water quality, and he urges local authorities to address the pollution to protect marine life and preserve the local economy.
In response to the crisis, local governments have begun infrastructure improvements. Sarasota County, for instance, has invested $280 million in its Bee Ridge water treatment plant to expand capacity and prevent future spills. It’s the county’s largest capital improvement project on the books. Similarly, Bradenton has allocated funds to beef up its water treatment capabilities. But progress has been hindered by permitting delays and administrative hurdles.
As the Suncoast continues to recover from the recent hurricanes, the sewage crisis serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need to modernize our infrastructure. Without comprehensive and proactive measures, the region remains vulnerable to environmental disasters that jeopardize public health, marine ecosystems and the local economy.
For the Suncoast Searchlight, this has been Josh Salman.
Host: To get to the full print version of Josh Salman’s report on sewage spills, go to suncoastsearchlight.org/the-historic-hurricane-season-flexed-its-muscles-a-suncoast-sewage-crisis-followed.
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