Water quality becomes concern for advocates charting new path forward after hurricanes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There are growing concerns over the health of Tampa Bay waters after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit.

Water quality advocates gathered in St. Petersburg on Nov. 13 to discuss the issue and lay out a blueprint to better protect the bay from possible vulnerabilities.

Sixty-eight million gallons of sewage ended up in St. Pete’s waterways after the back-to-back hurricanes.

READ MORE: St. Pete and FEMA hosts a joint insurance help session

Red tide and flesh-eating bacteria are present in Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) water samples from Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

"We can’t continue to say this is a once-in-100-year storm; I think that’s a scapegoat," said Justin Tramble, the executive director of Tampa Bay Waterkeepers. "I think we need to be more forward-thinking," 

Ocean Conservancy Director JP Brooker said debris ending up in the ocean is another concern.

"A lot of that goes back to circularity and how we handle our trash to begin with," said Brooker. "I think our fundamental systems for managing waste are broken and have a lot of room for improvement." 

Brooker continued, saying, "Hurricanes like Milton and Helene and potentially Sara really ripped that band-aid off and show us we have a lot to work on trash."

Tramble says that because Florida’s waterways are a major economic driver, water quality needs to be a priority for elected leaders.

"People aren’t moving here to sit in traffic on 4th street. They are coming here because of our water, so we need to start acting like it," said Tramble. "Our investments need to start lining up with that."

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

• Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
• Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
• Download the SkyTower Radar app
• Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter