Evacuation Order Lifted At Florida Reservoir

April 7, 2021 4:21 am

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – A mandatory evacuation order near a leaking Florida wastewater reservoir that affected more than 300 homes and additional businesses has been lifted. Officials said with Tuesday’s announcement that the situation is under control. More than two dozen pumps have been deployed, along with other equipment. That has eased fears that the reservoir from an old phosphate fertilizer plant would burst through its earthen walls and cause widespread flooding in Manatee County, just south of Tampa. The reservoir initially held about 480 million gallons of contaminated water. But much of it has been drained away once the leak was discovered. Florida lawmakers are considering spending $200 million on a permanent cleanup.