The City of St. Petersburg has decided to shut down power at two sewer treatment plants due to the threat posed by Hurricane Milton. The Northeast Sewer Treatment Plant, located at 1160 62nd Ave. NE, and the Southwest Sewer Treatment Plant, located at 3800 54th Ave. S, have been turned off as a precautionary measure to protect employees and facilities from potential storm surge.
Residents and businesses in the areas served by these plants are advised to limit water usage starting at 7 p.m. This includes avoiding showers, laundry, dishwashing, and flushing toilets only when necessary, as these services may be disrupted.
The city does not anticipate any other facilities being affected by the storm surge and has no plans to shut down the drinking water treatment plant in Odessa, Florida. “Drinking water has NOT been shut off,” assures the city. Running water remains available for drinking or cooking purposes.
Restoration of sewer services could take 48 hours or more after the storm passes. Inspections will be conducted to ensure safety before operations resume. “City staff will need to carefully inspect the plants to be sure they can be safely restarted,” according to city officials.
For updates on the situation, residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert St. Pete at pinellas.gov/alert and follow @StPeteFL on social media channels. The latest storm information is also available from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov.
