BRADENTON — On Sept. 8, a filter overflow at the City of Bradenton sewage treatment facility resulted in 1.7 million gallons of sewage being released into the Manatee River, according to a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
At 9:28 p.m., the operator notified the Chief Operator, who gave instructions to shut down the aerators and filter lift pumps and to open the bypass valve to mitigate the situation. By 10:00 p.m., the overflow from both the filters and a clarifier had stopped. Flow through the bypass continued until approximately 3:10 a.m. The bypass valve was closed at 4:25 a.m., once normal conditions were restored.
The Water Reclamation Facility had been experiencing sustained high flows during this period while operating with one aerator offline due to a mechanical failure, according to the city’s report. The affected area was cleaned and limed…