City of St. Pete fast tracks pipe replacement plans after 10,000-gallon wastewater spill into Rivier

ST. PETERSBURG – Neighbors living near the San Martin Boulevard Bridge in St. Pete will have to get used to construction for the next year or two.

The city has fast-tracked a project scheduled for 2025 to replace aging wastewater pipes nearby.

That's because, over the weekend, a broken main dumped more than 10,000 gallons of wastewater into Riviera Bay.

John Palenchar, the City of St. Pete Water Resource Director, says the issue began Friday.

"There was bubbling water. A resident called to inform us of the bubbling water. We dug down on it, but there was a lot of debris, and we couldn't get to the pipe," he said.

However, a line break in the main sent 800 gallons of wastewater throughout Tallahassee Dr., and 600 gallons ended up in Riviera Bay.