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Florida has declared a state of emergency due to a leak of dangerous water.
Work teams pumped millions of gallons of sewage into the Gulf of Florida on Sunday as they tried to prevent a tank problem in an old phosphate mine.
Authorities in Manati County have extended the evacuation zone overnight and warned that hundreds of millions of liters of water could flood the area if the problem with the Paini Point reservoir is not resolved, the Guardian reported.
Florida Gov. Ron De Santis has already inspected the site by helicopter and declared a state of emergency for three counties that could be affected by a possible water leak, which in turn could lead to the formation of a 6-foot water wall to spill over residential and commercial areas.
“What we are looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to a truly catastrophic flood situation. The water quality problems that arise are less than the risk to the health and safety of everyone, especially the people who may live in the area, “De Santis explained.
According to him, the water has already been tested and meets quality standards, except for the presence of phosphorus and nitrogen.
On March 26, when the leak was initially reported, the tank had about 480 million gallons of water, while now the amount is about 340 million gallons. Before the authorities started pumping it to reduce the risk of flooding, 2-3 million gallons of water per day leaked, but conditions have been deteriorating in recent days, the New York Times reports.
More than 300 homes have been evacuated and hotels in the area have been relocated.
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