St. Pete says utility truck dumped storm water into canal, neighbors aren't so sure

St. Petersburg neighbors are stunned after witnessing a utility truck dumping some type of liquid at a city-owned boat ramp.

[slickjohnc]

If its stormwater, i dont see the big deal here. Especially if they removed it from flooding a neighborhood or something. It all goes to the waterway anyways.

[st.peterunner]

It's not a mysterious "liquid" lol it's clearly water

[SkullFoundry]

where does he think storm water goes? They probably just cleaned the storm drains in his neighborhood.

[MikeSmith-mplf]

I drove a vac truck for 5 years so let me go ahead and tell you. If you're able to stand behind the truck and video it dumping then it wasn't sewage! He would instantly have been running away. Hope that helps with a lot of the hypotheticals I've already read in the comment section here. Odds are it was just excess water that needed to be pumped out of a clogged drain so a crew could go in and clear it out.

[stars]

Hate to tell you buddy, but every drop of storm water ends up in the bay. You'll be grateful they cleaned that vault next time it rains.

[foghornleghorn]

Should have gotten a sample and sent it off .

[davidb]

So since that development was built, stormwater carrying debris, sediment, and other runoff has discharged into the canal via pipes without objection. Now it’s moved via truck and the guy sits at the phone calling everyone like a gossipy 12 year old girl. Where does he think stormwater goes? Even more pathetic is that this non-story actually aired after having investigated and learning nothing nefarious was happening. And this is just me personally, but I would never go swimming in a canal, that canal does indeed look gross, and I think that has to do with the fact that it’s a stagnant canal and not a naturally flowing river. But that’s just me.

[spaceprepper]

If you're standing there you could've got a sample.

[SwampDiverOutdoors]

I worked at a wastewater treatment plant in Indiana and we were required to dump anything we removed from storm water drains at the treatment plant.

[KennethGreenCMP]

It's the same muck the runs off the road into the bay every day. Besides it not all natural, his house and run off from his neighbors yard all pollute the bay.

[patrickwhelan]

Maybe ask the driver of the truck what he is dumping?

[motorflasher]

That is a vacuum truck. It sucks out dirt from storm structures( inlets, manholes, etc) this is a non story.

[t]

Stormwater basins are designed to collect sediments and other solids from street runoff. The vacuum truck are designed to collect this black sandy gunk. Can they take this water-sediment mix to specialty settling ponds to separate and release the water from the gunk?

[amnforge]

👀They said it's legal. I've lived here in STP since 1994, NEVER have I seen this happen at any other time. Granted, it's never flooded this badly in 3 decades. But they have to do better than that; People living in Riviera bay have never seen that before so they thought the city was dumping sewage water into the bay. The waterways are so polluted already. I wouldn't swim in there. I couldnt imagine being aquatic life living there.

[gullreefclub]

That guy crying a River about a vac truck dumping flood water into water at the boat ramp is a definite KAREN

[scottreich]

This isn't news, its an old man complaining about them cleaning stormwater drains before a storm. He would be the first in line to try to sue the town if it flooded because they didn't maintain the drains. Next time dump it on his lawn so it can filter naturally.

[brianjames]

Uh….wouldn’t it make more sense to dump this in one of the newer bridge retention ponds created to keep the road runoff from going directly into bay/gulf without some filtration?

[drzsm]

Where did you think storm water ended up?

[bellat]

From the looks of the water around there the truck water looks cleaner.

[jeremiah]

Actually great call out by the homeowner! Those trucks do many jobs they clean oil, diesel spills clean out catch basin and poop poop traps. So if those tanks aren’t cleaned properly you guys get contaminated water being put in your canal. If you see other trucks doing this don’t be thinking 🤔 it’s only storm water. This particular truck may only been storm water however there are so many of these trucks most of the trucks do every job those trucks are the most expensive truck on the road they clean out everything.