Pursuant to Section 403.077, F.S., the Department of Environmental Protection has received the following Public Notice of Pollution for a reportable release. All information displayed was submitted by the reporting party.
Type of Notice: Initial Report
Date of Notice: 02/01/2024
Incident Information
Name of Incident: 2000 4th Street in Mulberry
State Watch Office Case Number: 2024993
Start of Incident: 01/31/2024 12:15 PM
End of Incident: 01/31/2024 12:20 PM
Incident Description
During a scheduled plant check at the Southwest Regional WWTF, Polk County Operations staff discovered the site tube connected to sodium hypochlorite tank (No.1) had broken loose from the top of the tank. The site glass assembly had rotated to the side and started draining the tank from site tube onto the concrete pad and onto an adjacent grass area. Further investigation confirmed that approximately 475 gallons of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) was released from the tank. Operations staff immediately closed the valves on the affected tank preventing further discharge. The spill was contained on-site and did not impact adjacent properties or waterways. There is no anticipated potential risk to public health, safety, or welfare. The spill was promptly reported to the NRC at 12:24 PM on January 31, 2024 (Incident No. 1390404). SERC was also notified of the incident at 1:32 PM on January 31, 2024. A contractor was contacted for assistance with clean-up and remediation. Clean-up actions were completed at 5:30 PM on January 31, 2024. Soil testing is in progress to determine the pH for possible removal. Sample analysis should take approximately 2 to 3 days to complete. The site tube was reattached to the tank and properly secured to prevent a recurrence and the valves reopened.
Incident Location
Facility/Installation Name: Southwest Regional WWTF FLA 012954
Address Line 1: 2000 4th Street
Address Line 2:
Directions:
City: Mulberry
State: FL
Zip Code: 33860
Coordinates (in decimal degrees):
Lat: 27.910322188457464, Long: -81.99255075578584
Click to view Incident Location
Impacted Counties: Polk
Updated Impact:
Incident Reported By
Name: Krystal Azzarella
Title: Utilities Environmental Manager