Florida wastewater plant spills nearly two million gallons following Hurricane Milton

A Leesburg wastewater treatment plant in Leesburg, Florida, spilled nearly two million gallons of wastewater after heavy rains from Hurricane Milton caused a significant breach at the plant.

According to a WESH 2 news article, city officials have since reported that the plant has been stabilized.

Leesburg City Manage Al Minner stated in the article that “the plant was inundated with water, and wastewater literally came out of the headwall.”

The wastewater spilled into a local canal that flows into Lake Griffin. Minner noted in the article that “the wastewater was diluted by Lake Griffin’s billions of gallons of water, mitigating the potential impact.”

The spill was self-reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the city is working to prevent future incidents.

Minner stated in the article that the DEP would likely collaborate with Leesburg officials to assess the breach and recommend improvements.

The city of Leesburg has acknowledged the overflow, emphasizing that it was not a continuous flow, reducing the potential damage.

City officials plan to review the plant’s infrastructure to prevent similar events in the future.