GIWA shuts down some lift stations during storm

The Gasparilla Island Water Association (GIWA) is investigating why wastewater output flowing through the system during Idalia was so excessive that they had to shut down some lift systems to allow the new treatment facility to keep up with the demand. 

Ron Bolton, GIWA’s executive director, said the normal range is 200 gallons per hour. They were running at 1,000 gallons per minute during the storm, particularly around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning.

GIWA sent out a public notice during the storm that they could expect low pressure when flushing toilets or showering. Customers were asked to limit use during the storm.

More information will be released when possible.