Largo settles wastewater lawsuit over concerns of pollution in Old Tampa Bay
City agrees to improvements and $100,000 payment to Tampa Bay Estuary Program.
Largo officials have committed to improving their wastewater system in a settlement with environmentalists who sued over concerns about the city polluting Tampa Bay.
The agreement aims to reduce the amount of contaminants, including nitrogen, released from the city to Old Tampa Bay around Feather Sound. Nitrogen is a nutrient that in excess can fuel algal blooms damaging to seagrass beds — a crucial part of the estuary.
City officials are vowing to upgrade treatment systems, including a $53 million project at a local plant, and to make fixes that limit sewer overflows. Some work was planned before but could be accelerated or expanded under the settlement.