phosphate

Workers will continue to identify whether there are any additional separations of the liner that resulted in millions of gallons of wastewater flowing from the reservoir.

The state says that 223 million gallons remain in the reservoir that had started leaking over a week ago.

Data on nitrates and phosphate will be important when determining the spill’s effect on Tampa Bay.

The state had been releasing up to 50 million gallons a day from the reservoir. The flow is now down to 5 million gallons a day, which will be treated before it enters Tampa Bay.

"Someone should be held responsible," Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White said.

As of Wednesday, officials say more than 38 million gallons are removed each day, with 258 million gallons still remaining.

A pair of environmental organizations are weighing in on the Piney Point wastewater leak in Manatee County. They say the crisis at the old fertilizer plant was preventable.

Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes says it appears workers at the site have been able to bring the situation under control.

Officials say the wastewater being released into Tampa Bay is not radioactive, but it does contain a lot of nutrients that can fuel algal blooms. Scientists say it will take time to see if damage occurred.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried toured the processing plant and said the massive spill could have far-reaching implications.

Officials say they're receiving help from Mosaic to haul hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from the reservoir to another site.

The hope is that the approximately 26 additional pumps would increase the amount of water being removed from the plant to up to 100 million gallons a day.