Update: 7:30 pm, 5-14-21

ECUA is pleased to report that our crews and emergency contractor have completed the replacement of the damaged section of 30-inch pipe at the Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility. The line is now back in service, the overflow has ceased, and the plant has resumed normal operation.

----

Update: 5:20 pm, 5-14-21

ECUA crews and our emergency contractor have worked throughout the day to isolate and remove the damaged section of 30-inch pipe and install a replacement section that will allow us to put this line back in service and stop the overflow. We expect this work to be completed by late afternoon, returning the plant to normal operation at that time.

While the section of pipe was open, we conducted a closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection of the rest of the 220-foot length of buried pipe and determined that additional areas warrant replacement in the near future. ECUA initiated a project to this effect this afternoon.

We will continue to issue updates as work progresses.

---

At approximately 10:30 pm on May 13, a 30-inch diameter ductile iron pipe (DIP) located within the grounds of the Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility ruptured. This is a line that runs between the ‘headworks’ (beginning of plant process) and the biological treatment basins. Sewage at this point in the process has undergone primary screening and de-gritting. ECUA personnel responded immediately and worked through the night to take the line out of service and redirect the flow. This action allowed our contractor to begin de-watering and excavation work overnight in preparation for making repairs.

The full scope of the repair work and the volume of the overflow are still being determined, but the damaged pipe is already being exposed and evaluated. Preliminary estimates indicate that several million gallons of flow will have been lost. More information will become available once the damaged pipe is fully bypassed and excavated. The pipe is below the water table, which complicates the repair process. Updates will be issued as work progresses.

In accordance with standard operating procedure, the ECUA has notified the State Warning Point, the Escambia County Health Department, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

# # #