Dissipation of red tide provides respite for residents and workers
July 24, 2021 - The latest red tide update at Thursday's City Council meeting brought good news for both residents of St. Pete and city workers. Data shows blooms have moved out of the bay and are now along the coast, as was predicted last week. Aiding the situation has been a decrease in salinity levels in the bay, while a small wastewater spill due to mechanical failure last week appears to have not had an impact. There has not been a single fish kill reported since last week, and the number of Public Works employees tasked with picking up the dead fish has dropped from a high of 200 to just four. Administrators are now balancing returning those workers to previously neglected projects while also giving them some much-needed rest.