The enormous surge of water sent Over 5 Million Gallons of untreated sewage into at least five Lakes in Lakeland

So far, the City of Lakeland has reported at least eight spills affecting Lake Somerset, Lake Parker, Lake Hollingsworth, Lake Bonny, Lake Bentley, and the Lake Hunter Outfall Ditch. 

The two largest spills, totaling over 5 million gallons, happened at the Glendale Wastewater Reclamation Facility in Lakeland.

A bacteria outbreak could happen, FDEP is testing the lakes.

The city made six other preliminary reports to the FDEP:

• Lake Parker — Rising lake levels flooded portions of a gravity sewer at West Lake Parker Drive and Bella Vista Street, overwhelming the collection system.
• Lake Hollingsworth — A manhole near Fairmount Avenue and Lake Hollingsworth Drive overflowed and discharged wastewater into a storm drain that leads to Lake Hollingsworth.
• Lake Bonny — A pump station at 1106 Bartow Road near the Bonny Apartments appeared to be discharging wastewater into Lake Bonny on Thursday morning.
• Lake Bentley — A manhole near John Arthur Way and Lake Bentley Court overflowed and discharged wastewater into a storm drain that leads to Lake Bentley.
• Lake Hunter Outfall Ditch — The city reported two incidents near Lake Hunter. A pump station at 1501 Ariana St. near the Georgetown Mobile Home Park lost power and discharged wastewater into the ditch until city crews hooked up a generator. Waste bubbled up through a manhole near Unitah Avenue and Lake Hunter Drive, spilling an unknown amount of waste into the ditch.