ALABAMA – Environmental regulators in Florida and Alabama are warning the public to avoid “any water activity” in Perdido Bay south of Bayou Marcus Creek, after a major sewage spill.
The spill occurred on the Florida side of Perdido Bay, which spans the two states north of Orange Beach.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority in Florida has reported a rupture within the grounds of the Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility, resulting in release of untreated sewage into the bay, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Florida officials said that as of 5:20 p.m. Friday work was ongoing to repair the rupture. The Florida Department of Health issued a health advisory saying it “advises against any water-related activities due to the potential for elevated levels of bacteria in the water.”
They say the rupture occurred around 10:30 p.m. Thursday in a 30-inch diameter pipe between the ‘headworks’ (beginning of plant process) and the biological treatment basins. Sewage at this point in the process has undergone primary screening and de-gritting, but has not been otherwise treated.
The water utility reports that they expect the pipe to be replaced Friday and that preliminary estimates suggest “several million gallons of flow will have been lost.”
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management says that no public drinking water sources in Baldwin County will be impacted by the spill, but that water monitoring signs in Perdido Bay area are being updated to reflect an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in these areas.
The general location of the treatment facility where the rupture occurred is indicated in the map below, about six miles across the Bay from Lillian, Alabama. The U.S. 98 bridge and most of the rest of Perdido Bay, south of the facility is included in the advisory.
