Post-Elsa Piney Point update from Florida DEP

Piney Point Update – July 7, 2021

The Piney Point site received approximately 2.5 inches of rain overnight due to Tropical Storm Elsa. Today, DEP inspectors were onsite to assess the conditions at the site. Water levels in the containment areas remain within safe operational levels and the stormwater system at the site continues to operate properly as designed. There were no spills or overflows of the containment areas as a result of the storm.

Approximately 249 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment. The increase in volume since yesterday’s report is due to rainfall from Tropical Storm Elsa. The temporary repair in the NGS-South compartment continues to function as designed.

DEP will continue its oversight of HRK's onsite water management activities to safely control water levels, respond to rainfall events and support water treatment. The department remains prepared to adjust water management strategies as needed through continuous monitoring of current and future weather conditions.

Key status updates and response activities:

• DEP continues to monitor and sample surrounding waterways following previous discharges. DEP's interactive water quality dashboard details sampling locations and corresponding results to evaluate any environmental impact. Results will continue to be posted as soon as they are available.
• DEP is also working collaboratively with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) and local governments to cover more area and collect more data. For a comprehensive view of all sampling in Tampa Bay related to Piney Point, visit TBEP's interactive water quality dashboard.
• DEP continues working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Florida Department of Health to monitor algal blooms and water quality. FWC continues to receive reports of fish kills in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. FWC is the lead agency on red tide and will continue to update conditions on their website. For more information on red tide, please visit ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov.

Residents can find the latest information on the status of the site and response activities at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate.