A utility pipe ruptured in Sarasota’s Park East neighborhood Friday night, releasing approximately 340,000 gallons of untreated sewage into the city of Sarasota's storm drainage system, which flows into Whitaker Bayou.

City officials said utility workers responded immediately to stop the leak and repair the failed section of pipe. The city is advising the public to avoid contact with water in Whitaker Bayou until further notice.

“Examination of the pipe revealed the pipe ruptured due to corrosion, which is somewhat unusual given the age of the pipe,” city utilities director Bill Riebe said in a news release Monday. He noted that the pipe was installed approximately 45 years ago, and the expected lifespan of similar pipelines is about 70 years.

“The rupture certainly was unexpected," he added.

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The 16-inch diameter pressurized pipe burst around 9:30 p.m. Friday near Shade Avenue and Eighth Street. It was placed back into service early Saturday afternoon and cleanup was complete by late evening that day. 

The city has notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Health about the incident, according to the news release. The health department has placed health advisory notices at the location of the spill. City officials did not issue a public statement or post on social media about the news until Monday.

City crews began collecting water samples from the stormwater drainage system Saturday morning, according to the release. The system will be monitored until water quality returns to natural background levels. Samples collected on Sunday indicate water quality is approaching those levels.      

To determine if the corrosion is isolated to the failed section, technicians and engineers in the city’s Utilities Department are evaluating the entire pipeline. This will show the city if other sections of the pipeline or the entire line need to be replaced. 

City Manager Marlon Brown said in the news release that the City Commission is “committed to providing reliable wastewater service” and to protecting public health and safety.

“The Commission proactively approved a long-range plan in 2019 to invest in the renewal and replacement of the of the City’s aging water and sewer infrastructure,” Brown said. “Whereas this particular pipe rupture was unfortunate and premature, the City’s efforts to update its infrastructure have reduced the number and magnitude of similar events.”  

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.