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Pinellas governments need to get rid of toilet water. They’re going underground

Local officials are leaning on the controversial wastewater solution as a state deadline looms.
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A drone view of the deep injection well located in a fenced in area on the northwest corner of 31st St S and 54th Ave S on Aug. 11 in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg officials are considering building new wells, which bury human and industrial waste deep underground.
A drone view of the deep injection well located in a fenced in area on the northwest corner of 31st St S and 54th Ave S on Aug. 11 in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg officials are considering building new wells, which bury human and industrial waste deep underground. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
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Published 4 hours ago

Flushing a toilet in Florida typically sends waste to one of three places.

Heavily treated “reclaimed” water goes to sprinklers that spray lawns, golf courses and parks. What’s left is either dumped into local waterways or pumped 1,000 feet underground.

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  • Jack Prator - Environment Reporter

    Jack Prator is a reporter covering the environment. Reach him at jprator@tampabay.com.

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    1. Comment by A. Luedke.

      Not enough drinking(potable) water. Too much waste water. We need more development in the “free” state of FL!!!

    2. Comment by User PHaD44.

      The wastewater effluent standards are usually pretty high, close to drinking water standards. Perhaps the problem with discharging into the bay is that it changes the salty mineral balance since you're adding basically fresh water.

      The deep injection wells shouldn't mix with the much less deep drinking water wells since there is an impervious layer of rock between the different layers.

      That said I would like to see a chemical control of the effluent so that it doesn't disturb the chemistry of the body of water being discarded to.

    3. Comment by B. SARASOTA.

      WHAT GOES DOWN WILL COME UP.

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