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RVCA Special Report

TARPON RIVER

By William Kirk, RVCA Board

or many of us in the Rio Vista neighborhood, other spill locations), estimate the amount of solids released
memories of the sewer main breaches in December from the December 2019 events and determine if those solids
F2019 that spilled over 100 million gallons of sewage were causing danger to the water quality, and (2) implement
into the streets and nearby Tarpon River still remain as the remedial actions as a result of the assessment, develop a
City continues to restore the neighborhood after the spills. surface water enhancement plan and submit the actions and
Subsequent to the events, many of the Rio Vista and adjacent plan to the FDEP for review.
neighborhood residents have continued to raise their concerns The City engaged environmental consultants E-Sciences, Inc. to
about the impact of the spills on the immediate and long-term assess the impact of the wastewater discharge on the Tarpon
health of the city waterways. During an emergency meeting in River. E-Sciences surveyed and sampled approximately 3,800
the days following the breaches, both City Commissioner Ben feet of the bottom floor of the Tarpon River, both upstream
Sorenson and City Manager Chris Lagerbloom communicated and downstream from the discharge point near the 9th
that the City was committed to addressing the restoration of Avenue bridge of the river. Based on the analyses of their
the neighborhood waterways once the infrastructure repairs survey and sampling, E-Sciences concluded the primary
were completed, which most likely would include dredging impact area remains in a 400-foot region - approximately one-
affected portions of the Tarpon River.
inch thick - from the discharge point, as much of the discharge
has been either naturally degraded or has been washed away
through the tidal process.

Remediation Project
The remediation process for our waterways has begun
throughout the city, but the project in Rio Vista for Tarpon
River will be a bit more complex. The challenge for our
neighborhood is two-fold – first, what is the most effective
way to remove the one-inch thin layer of pollutant sediment
identified without stirring up other pollutants that might further
complicate the scope and damage to the river; and second,
determining a non-evasive process to the neighborhood for
the removal and transportation of the dredged material.
Because of these challenges, the project has been delayed but
there is a sense of urgency to bring the neighborhood back to
a place of normalcy.
In June 2021 the City received the final permit from the U.S.
Remediation Assessment & Planning Army Corp of Engineers and FDEP. The City plans to bid out
In June 2020 the City received an Amended Consent Order the dredging project soon and anticipates the actual
from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection remediation work to start late in 2021.
(FDEP) as a result of the Tarpon River and other City sewer
breaches. Among other requirements, the FDEP report What Can Rio Vista Residents Expect?
mandated that the City both (1) assess the potential impacts While the City has not released the details of the work scope yet,
of the wastewater discharge in the Tarpon River (as well as
we do know and expect some aspects of the project, including:

14 rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com