No, Tampa is not shutting off water before Milton

Tampa has no plans to shut down water as Hurricane Milton approaches the Tampa Bay area, despite rumors circulating online.

The city’s water department reassured residents that it would not shut down water services ahead of the storm in a news release and in a text to residents. Neither will Hillsborough County, a spokesperson said.

Tampa officials wanted to head off rumors on both access to water and to electricity and resources necessary to prepare ahead of the storm, spokesperson Liz Hall said Tuesday.

Mayor Jane Castor reiterated the message in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “We are not proactively shutting off water anywhere,” Castor said. “There’s the possibility that the storm surge or the wind will knock down trees, power lines and everything else that will affect different services, but we will be sure to keep you informed in a timely manner.”

Still, the city encouraged residents to store water in case they do lose access. Clean drinking water should be stored in food-grade containers and away from direct heat or sunlight. Residents should also store water in bathtubs so they can flush toilets.

Trees falling can pull up water mains, potentially breaking them.

“If there is major, widespread damage to water infrastructure and there is a need to shut down service, the City of Tampa will notify residents and businesses. However, the Tampa Water Department is not planning any pre-emptive shutdowns,” the city’s press release read.

St. Petersburg, on the other hand, will ‘most likely’ shut off two of its three sewage plants, City Administrator Rob Gerdes said. That could leave 66% of its residents unable to flush toilets or take showers for at least 24 hours. However on Tuesday, the city’s public works administrator, Claude Tankersley, said there is capacity in the collection system to flush toilets “sparingly.” Mayor Ken Welch said the final decision would be made closer to the storm’s landfall.

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