St. Armands

Residents Association

Stormwater History

For information about flooding events on St. Armands Key, click here.

July 28, 1998

The City of Sarasota enters into an Interlocal agreement with Sarasota County to maintain all storm water systems located in the City of Sarasota.  The city owns the system, but the county maintains it.

Here is the County (and by interlocal agreement, the City) flood protection level of service (FPLOS) thresholds. What this mean is that homes and streets that exceed these FPLOS thresholds typically justify action which can include a capital improvement project, if cost-effective.


2006

A major stormwater improvement project was completed on St. Armands. A map of pump stations and baffle boxes, and a summary of the project details, can be viewed here.

Not all of St. Armands Key drains by gravity alone.  Previous to this project, there was a single pump station on St. Armands (PS 2005).  This project rehabilitated that pump station, added four additional pump stations (for a total of five; each pump station has two pumps for a total of ten), added baffle boxes to collect debris and prevent it from reaching the pumps, and added two backup generators to power the pumps.


November 7, 2023

At a regular monthly meeting of the St. Armands Residents Association, the Sarasota County Director of Public Works, the City of Sarasota Director of Public Works, and the City Engineer were all present to answer questions about the flooding from Hurricane Idalia.  The Sarasota County Director of Public Works gave this presentation.

2023-2024

We received additional information from the County Stormwater Operations Manager following the 2023 Hurricane Idalia and 2024 Invest 90L flooding events.

June 28, 2024

City news bulletin:  (link)

The record setting deluge we experienced a couple of weeks ago associated with Invest 90L resulted in 8+ inches of rain in just three hours, leaving parts of the city temporarily flooded. The stormwater system simply could not keep pace with the massive amount of rainfall. Through an inter-local agreement, Sarasota County oversees and maintains the stormwater system for the City of Sarasota. The administration has been in communication with County staff about the street flooding and possible actions that can be taken to mitigate a repeat occurrence. Again, this volume of rainfall has never been experienced in Sarasota.

July 17, 2024

Email from Sarasota County Public Works Director to City Manager about the improvements completed over the last two years:

  1. Replaced five lift station panels
  2. Installed four emergency pump-out connections
  3. Replaced ductile iron pipeline and valves on station 2005 (S. Washington Cir)
  4. Replaced one thousand feet of power line hit by a directional drill to 7010
  5. Replaced seven of the ten pumps on the circle. The three we didn’t replace were only five years old and are in good condition.
  6. We had two of the seven pumps rebuilt for backups if needed.

August 25, 2024

Response from County Stormwater Operations Manager to this resident photo:

All the drains were inspected and what needed to be cleaned was cleaned. This was the one you called to me just prior to Debby coming in.

The reason why we had reported this particular storm drain was because Hurricane Debby was coming and a nearby resident had just sent this photo:

  

The County Stormwater Operations Manager personally came out that same day and reported the following:

"I am here now. The incoming and outgoing pipe are both clear and flowing. The vegetation is laying down and not obstructing the drainage."

Most of our storm drains lead to one of several below-grade "baffle boxes" that collect debris in "cages" before it can reach and clog/damage our stormwater pumps. The county has previously told us that they clean these out quarterly. The city is responsible for street sweeping. But, when you're out and about, if you notice debris or vegetation potentially clogging an individual storm drain, it needs to be reported.

November 19, 2024

January 6, 2025

Our Association email to Interim City Manager (who is also the city Public Works Director) and Deputy City Manager:

I'm writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of the St. Armands Residents Association to request that the city inspect our below-grade stormwater drain pipes.

After two years of damaging flood events on St. Armands, we know the following to be true:

      1. Our pumps have been unreliable, and when they have failed, stormwater has not been draining.
      2. Temporary pumps with generators have had to be brought in to remove the water from our streets.
      3. The city recently mulched our medians and park, despite past flood events moving mulch into our storm drains
      4. The recent hurricane floods deposited clay-like mud all over St. Armands and it has entered our drains. This mud will not be collected in baffle boxes. How and when will it get removed?

Are our pipes clogged? Have they collapsed? Or are they just inadequate? We'd like the city to figure this out, and then put together a plan to address it.

We believe that the correct approach is to "televise the storm system piping" to find any breaks and obstructions. We expect that you will find that our underground drain pipes are clogged or have collapsed to varying degrees so that flood water does not drain as designed, if at all.

We ask that this gets done before the upcoming summer rain and storm season. Could you please let me know what, if anything, will be done, and when to expect it?

January 7, 2025

Response from County Stormwater Operations Manager:

I understand 2024 has been a very trying year. We have weathered four storms. I want to rehash each storm, if I may, for your good and mine.

June 11th flash flood event [Invest 90L] caused the first flooding problem. The pump station panels went underwater and needed to be replaced.

Pre-storm

    • This was not predicted, but we had all stations running and several pumps were replaced with new ones at this time.

Post-storm

    • Pumps were brought in to lower the water level and get the infrastructure up and running again.
    • All panels were replaced at a higher elevation, and emergency pumpouts were installed.
    • Stormwater catchbasins were inspected and cleaned as needed.

On August 5th, Debby stalled over the county, dropping approximately 18 inches of rain and had little effect on St. Armands.

Pre-storm

    • All stations were inspected and tested to ensure they were functioning properly.
    • All infrastructure was visually inspected and cleaned as needed.
    • Rented pumps

Post-storm

    • All stations were inspected to ensure they remained functioning.
    • All stormwater infrastructure was inspected and cleaned as needed.

On September 24th Helene brought some rain and four to five foot storm surge at a high tide. The Circle had five to six feet of water. All the new panels went underwater, and were shorted out again. This also caused generator failure behind the Fire Station (water in the fuel) and the Fillmore parking (winding failure), which is currently under repair.

Pre-storm

    • All stations were inspected and tested to ensure they were functioning properly.
    • All infrastructure was visually inspected and cleaned as needed.
    • Rented pumps and generators

Post-storm

    • Pumps were brought in to lower the water level and get the infrastructure up and running again.
    • Panels were inspected, and parts were ordered to replace appurtenances that came in contact with the saltwater.
    • The City of Sarasota began removing sand from the roadways.
    • All stormwater infrastructure was inspected and cleaned as needed.

On October 5th Milton brought wind and storm surge. Creating another flooding event with 2 feet of water in the circle.

Pre-storm

    • All stations were inspected and tested to ensure they were functioning properly.
    • All infrastructure was visually inspected and cleaned as needed.
    • Rented pumps and generators

Post-storm

    • Pumps were brought in to lower the water level and get the infrastructure up and running again.
    • Stations appeared to run.
    • The City of Sarasota continued removing sand from the roadways.
    • All stormwater infrastructure was inspected and cleaned as needed.
    • Finished cleaning all the outfall pipes on Ben Franklin Dr. October 29th.

Jan. 6th we put in a Work Order to clean and televise all the infrastructure around St. Armands Circle. The assessment should begin in early March and be completed by the end of March. The baffle boxes are already inspected quarterly and cleaned as needed. I hope this addresses your concerns.

January 21, 2025

County Commission Workshop to discuss stormwater issues, but focused on the mainland flooding from Hurricane Debby earlier this year:

    • Calendar notice and agenda:  link
    • Backup materials and presentation slides:  link
    • Watch video of meeting:  link

January 29, 2025

Observer article:  Town aims to upgrade resiliency of lift stations on island

This article is about the Town of Longboat Key, not the City of Sarasota.  But, it mentions a device that could benefit our stormwater pump control panels.  Per the article:

According to Public Works Director Charlie Mopps, the panels need to be low enough so department workers can easily service and repair the panels — that’s why the panels aren’t installed multiple feet off the ground.

But the town’s public works department is now seeking a state appropriation of $950,000 to upgrade the control panels by putting them on a device that could lift them higher off the ground in the event of an impending storm.

“Having them on a pole that can be elevated in the event of a possible storm, it allows the components to then still be serviceable,” Mopps said.

March 28, 2025

Joint Meeting of Sarasota County Commission and City of Sarasota Commission

County Public Works Director recommends that the County ends the Interlocal Agreement; that the City of Sarasota takes over the maintenance of its stormwater management system.

    • Agenda Packet (including presentation slides):  link
    • Video:  link - scroll to 1:05:50 (1 hour, 5 minutes, 50 seconds)

April 18, 2025


Spring-Summer 2025

Documentation will be added soon regarding the several follow-up questions we've asked the County, and their responses, about the state of the stormwater management system on St. Armands Key.

June 5, 2025

Statement from County Stormwater Operations Manager to ABC7 regarding recent heavy rainfall and water accumulation on St. Armands streets:

During yesterday's heavy rainfall, Sarasota County monitored the pump stations through Missions, the County's SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. Stormwater field services team members were dispatched to confirm the readings. Although the water did rise around the circle, the pumps caught up with the flows, and to our knowledge, there was no flooding. Most of St. Armand's Circle's drainage infrastructure was cleaned and televised this spring, with silt and mulch removed, and the televising showed that the infrastructure was intact. Sarasota County has a backup generator on-site and pumps on hand to pump water off the circle if needed. We always encourage citizens to call 941-861-5000 or 311 if they notice flooding so that we can respond quickly to the location.

July 7, 2025

Sarasota County Press Release:  Ben Quartermaine named the first Director of Stormwater Department

SARASOTA, FL – Ben Quartermaine has been selected as the county’s director of the newly structured Stormwater Department. He’s expected to assume the role Aug. 11, upon successful completion of the County’s standard pre-employment processes. This marks a significant step in the county’s dedication to enhancing its stormwater stewardship.

“Ben’s deep technical knowledge, passion for water resource conservation and proven leadership make him the ideal person to head our stormwater efforts,” said Jonathan Lewis, Sarasota County Administrator. “We are confident his expertise and leadership will prepare us for the future.”

Quartermaine previously worked for Sarasota County in stormwater operations. He was born and raised in Sarasota. He has nearly 30 years of experience in civil design and stormwater infrastructure throughout Florida and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida. A lifelong Floridian, he’s led sustainable watershed management projects and renewable energy initiatives while working as a Senior Project Manager at Stantec.

Established in July 2025, the Stormwater Department is dedicated to enhancing flood protection, improving stormwater quality and supporting healthy watersheds throughout Sarasota County.

In his new role, Quartermaine will develop and implement comprehensive stormwater and flood mitigation strategies, lead infrastructure planning, maintenance and inter-agency collaboration.

For additional information about the Stormwater Department, please visit scgov.net/government/stormwater.

Role of St. Armands Circle Park

In this historical photo of St. Armands Circle (circa 1950s?), you can see that the Circle Park has always been open land.  Per this May 2022 report by City Staff, the Circle Park serves an important stormwater management role.



St. Armands Residents Association

P.O. Box 2482, Sarasota, FL  34230

e-mail us at: st.armands.residents.assn@gmail.com

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