Longboat Key expects to face penalties following sewage spill
LONGBOAT KEY – Following one month of water sample testing from a third-party consultant, Longboat Key officials were pleased to learn major sewage had little impact on the short-term health of Sarasota Bay.
Following several tests between July 1 and July 30, independent contractor Environmental Science Associates or ESA concluded “there was no evidence of even a short term impact of the sewage leak on bacteria levels in Sarasota Bay.”
“We think it is good news,” said Longboat Key Town Manager Tom Harmer. “Obviously an unfortunate incident that occurred, but the test results indicate that there really was no impact to the bay.”
Following the June spill, the town faced sharp criticism in its response to the mainline break. One of the big questions surrounded the two-week gap between when officials believe the spill started and when the town alerted state officials and local residents of the pipe break.