ST. PETE BEACH — Saltwater seeping into crumbling sewer pipes has put St. Pete Beach in violation of its sewage treatment contract with St. Petersburg, with chloride levels now four times higher than allowed, officials said Sept. 8.
City Manager Fran Robustelli told commissioners that elevated chloride levels are hampering St. Petersburg’s ability to produce reclaimed water at its Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, which treats wastewater from the beach community.
The chloride concentrations have quadrupled since 2018 and exceeded contractual limits by 2021, according to data from St. Petersburg. High chloride levels make reclaimed water less suitable for irrigation and can corrode treatment plant equipment, increasing maintenance costs and potentially disrupting operations…