Florida Wastewater Reservoir Breach Presents Flood Threat

Officials say drones may have detected a second breach in a Florida wastewater reservoir containment wall that could collapse -- creating what the governor has called a "real catastrophic flood situation."

"At approximately 2 a.m., an infrared drone identified a signature that could indicate a second breach" in the Piney Point wastewater pond , Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said Monday at a news conference.

"Engineers from the Department of Environmental Protection are back out at the site now and they’re reassessing that," Saur added.

The leak in the containment wall was discovered about a week ago. Residents in the area, about 20 miles south of Tampa, were evacuated as officials warned the containment wall could collapse at any time.

The Manatee County Public Safety Department declared a state of emergency Saturday. Besides the flooding danger, the leak could also cause a collapse of phosphogypsum stacks, radioactive waste that is created during fertilizer production and phosphate rock mining.