Florida Forced to Pump Tampa Bay with Wastewater to Avoid Catastrophe

A strange and horrid problem began to emerge in Florida over the course of the last week, and authorities are now desperately working to avoid a large-scale disaster.

A massive reservoir containing wastewater from a local mining operation is apparently at a failing point, as leaks discovered at the facility warn of an impending catastrophe.  Should the reservoir fail, a massive wall of wastewater, complete with heavy metals and elements such as uranium could come tearing through nearby homes and businesses.

Now, with no timeline as to when precisely the reservoir could give out, crews are moving some of this putrid water out into Tampa Bay.

After a leak in the liner of a reservoir caused a partial breach in one of its containment walls, officials hope that pumping more than 30 million gallons of wastewater out of the reservoir and into the Tampa Bay ecosystem will relieve pressure on the walls and reduce the chance of an uncontrolled major breach.

More than 300 hundred homes and multiple businesses have been evacuated in the area around Piney Point, a former phosphate plant.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Officials have expressed concern about a full breach of the reservoir. Nearby residents at one point on Saturday received an emergency alert text instructing them to leave the area immediately because the collapse was “imminent.”

Should the reservoir collapse, authorities have suggested that a wall of water up to 20 feet high could be sent forth from the collapse, and urged those within the evacuation area to take the matter seriously.