Although I liked Tom's guess the best, Bubba is the closest to correct. They had been spraying for mosquitoes, but at this point they were filling the tank with water to clean out the tank and spraying mechanism. They do this multiple times to make sure all the pesticide, Bti, is out of there.
The guy from the state I was talking to said that they only have a 4-hr. window to catch the larva that comes in with the tide, (1) because the larva only feed at one specific time in its development and (2) before it and the Bti is all washed away again.
That 4-hr. window could be at any time on any day. He also said they had been worried about today because of predicted thunder storms.
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is a soil bacterium that was discovered in Israel in 1977. Bti has been used in mosquito and blackfly control for many years. The insecticide is created when the bacterium Bti is placed in unfavorable conditions it hardens and forms spores. Within these spores is a parasporal body comprised of proteins. These proteins have insecticidal properties. When a mosquito larva ingests the Bti portions of the mosquito's gut rupture, killing the larva. (source)
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