SARASOTA BAY 
The area surrounding Sarasota Bay has never been heavily 
industrialized. Fourteen of the 15 sources of industrial discharges into 
the bay listed by McNulty et al. (1972) were laundries or car washes. 
The remaining source, a manufacturer of television and communication 
equipment, was listed as the largest source of discharge into the bay via 
Phillippi Creek with average daily discharges of 0.02 mgd. None of these 
sources hold a current FDER discharge permit and presumably have either 
been connected to municipal sewage systems or have ceased discharging 
wastes. 
The City of Sarasota reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plant is 
the only source of industrial discharge into Sarasota Bay currently under 
permit by DER. This source is considered by FDER to be a major 
discharge. Several smaller RO plants discharge wastewaters into coastal 
bays just to the south of Sarasota Bay proper. The effect on the overall 
water quality of Sarasota Bay caused by industrial discharges is probably 
insignificant when compared with the effects of nonpoint source runoff 
(Giovannelli, this report) and sewage plant discharges. 
TAMPA BAY 
Historically the phosphate and related chemical processing 
industries have been the main source of industrial wastewater discharges 
into the Tampa Bay system. Seven of the 18 sources of discharge in the 
late 1960’s were of this type (McNulty et al. 1972). In 1987, of the 18 
active permits issued by the FDER for major sources of industrial 
discharge, nine were for wastes discharged by facilities which 
manufactured sulfuric and phosphoric acids, triple superphosphate and 
other phosphate related compounds. The remaining major sources of 
discharge consisted of two citrus processors, the City of Tampa water 
treatment plant, and 6 power plant discharges. Three of these power 
plants withdraw a combined total of 1942 mgd of bay water for condenser 
cooling. The location of major industrial waste discharges into the 
surface waters of Tampa Bay and its tributaries are shown in Figure 1. 
Discharges from phosphate processors and power plants are important 
because of the number and the quantity of their effluents. Specific 
problems associated with these industries will be discussed in greater 
detail. 
Along with the 18 major discharges, an additional 57 minor sources 
have active FDER discharge permits or are under enforcement for 
unpermitted discharge. These sources represent a diversity of industrial 
activities including several phosphate and fertilizer producing 
facilities, citrus canneries, laundries, and petroleum refining and 
storage operations. Only two minor sources of industrial surface water 
discharge are presently permitted by FDER in Sarasota County. Both 
permit holders are shell pit operations which occasionally discharge 
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