As for the cause of this ongoing problem, Mayor Kriseman would be wise to not bring up the issue. One of the primary reasons behind these algae blooms is the infusion of large amounts of human waste. The St. Petersburg water treatment has been an ongoing source of problems — problems which predate the DeSantis administration, but directly involve decisions by Kriseman. //

A sewage report issued about the city’s capacity and handling of its wastewater, detailed in The Tampa Bay Times, looked into the matter of 200 million gallons of sewage released into neighborhoods and waterways. The main cause cited was the closure of a major water reclamation facility, and the decision to forestall the expansion of other water facilities to handle a flooding emergency. This gamble, rooted in money-saving efforts, proved disastrous as the region was hit with a hurricane and a tropical storm, leading to excessive flooding.

“(St. Petersburg’s) leadership has had a culture of being willfully and negligently indifferent toward known problems in its wastewater treatment system that ultimately lead to some of the largest wastewater discharges in State history.” — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report