US emergency crews seek to prevent ‘catastrophic flood’ at wastewater reservoir

The old Piney Point phosphate mine pond is leaking water (Tiffany Tompkins/The Bradenton Herald via AP)

Emergency workers in Florida are trying to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond while evacuating the area to avoid a “catastrophic flood”, the state’s governor said.

Manatee County officials said the latest models show that a breach at the old phosphate plant reservoir has the potential to gush out 340 million gallons of water in a matter of minutes, risking a 20ft wall of water.