News-Press.com

March 22, 2008

Open cases at local wastewater treatment plants

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These 13 plants are on the DEP’s violation list for non-compliance. Some violations go back years, but the plants remain on the list until they have met all compliancy orders. The violations were compiled from DEP’s latest available public records.

Briarcrest Homeowners Association — Fort Myers

This plant has had problems since 2001 when it was penalized $33,500 for maintenance issues. In its annual inspection report Dec. 17, 2004, it received a “significant out of compliance” mark after regulators saw excessive sewage and floating scum in the treatment plant. In May 2005, it reached a $2,500 settlement after several violations, including a fecal coliform count that was “too numerous to count.” Later that year it received an “out of compliance” mark in its annual inspection.

Captiva Shores— Captiva

In October, when two of Sanibel’s beaches were closed after fecal bacteria were found, the island’s mayor, Mick Denham, environmentalists and residents pointed to this plant and others as an example of facilities that could be contributing to their then-contaminated beaches. That month DEP records showed Captiva Shores scored a 3,500 on a fecal coliform test, well above the 800 limit. DEP said this plant has other minor violations it is working on.

City of Fort Myers, Central plant — Fort Myers

On July 9, 2005, public records show an 1,100-gallon spill of raw sewage into a Fort Myers ditch. On Nov. 9, 2005 raw sewage flowed out of manholes on Braman Avenue. From Aug. 31, 2006 through Sept. 22, 2006, 14 manholes on these streets were seen overflowing into Billy’s Creek: Arlington, Windsor, Sunter and Roanoke. The city cleaned Billy Creek. The city also is replacing all old sewer and water pipes in a major systems upgrade.

Citrus Park RV Resort — Bonita Springs

In 2005, the plant had major effluent, or treated water, violations. A report dated May 24, 2005, shows one cleaning chamber did not have sufficient chlorine — an essential chemical in cleaning the water. Its Total Suspended Solids — which measures debris — was 2,040 milligrams per liter, over the acceptable 60 milligrams. In the Contact Chlorine Chambers, one of the final phases in treating sewage, its fecal coliforms were “too numerous to count.” The park is undergoing improvements to reach compliancy.

Eagle Ridge Utilities — south Fort Myers

A foul odor has been reported at Eagle Ridge Country Club for nine years, when in a letter dated May 6, 1999, David M. Semple wrote: “The odor causes my family, my neighbors and me headaches and nausea when we pass the facility. The odor is not occasional but occurs every day.” The plant operator said they have taken steps to fix all problems, but residents continue to complain.

Forest Utilities — south Fort Myers

In 1999 the wastewater plant belonging to Forest Country Club paid $3,000 to a family who said sewage spills damaged their home. Over the next few years several odor complaints followed including a complaint from Raymond O’Brien, dated March 20, 2002, who said “it is a chronic problem and has been going on for five years.” In 2005 the plant was fined $20,700 for a spill greater than 10,000 gallons onto nearby ponds.

The Hut Restaurant — east Lee County

A restaurant wastewater plant for which records showed few pollution problems but many serious paperwork problems. The plant’s permit expired Aug. 2, 2006. The DEP recently denied a permit application and is approaching the Bureau of Professional Regulation to request shutting down the wastewater plant.

Jamaica Bay West — south Fort Myers

As far back as 1996 Jamaica Bay’s wastewater plant was warned of maintenance issues. In April 1999 it failed its annual inspection with a “significant out of compliance” mark. In a report dated Feb. 2, 2001, inspectors wrote: “disposal system failure with high potential for water quality or health impacts.” On Nov. 18, 2002, the plant spilled 1.89 million gallons of partially treated sewage into Hendry Creek. On April 9, 2003, the plant spilled 147,600 gallons of wastewater, but records do not indicate the water’s level of treatment. In its annual report Sept. 13, 2005, the plant received an “out of compliance” mark for maintenance and equipment violations.

Lehigh Acres — Lehigh

This plant was inherited by Florida Governmental Utility Authority four years ago, and it found a nearly 50-year-old plant that was falling apart. In 2006, the plant leaked at least 20,000 gallons after more than 12 spills, mostly of raw sewage. The plant had spills before and after but not as many as in 2006. FGUA is on a $91.9 million five-year campaign to upgrade its facilities.

Oak Park Mobile Home Village

The plant is on the list because it did not submit discharge monitoring reports for 2007 — a report that indicates how well a plant is treating its effluent. In 2006 the plant had a number of malfunction problems. In a report dated Aug. 8 2006, a lift station — which keeps the water flowing — malfunction and overflowed. The plant was reprimanded for not reporting a spill greater than 1,000 gallons. The records provided no details on the spill.

Pink Citrus Park — Bokeelia

The plant has had a variety of maintenance problems for nearly 10 years, records show. In a report dated April 11, 2002, the plant was accused of nonpayment of penalties and 20 violations dating back to 1999, including: puddling sewage in park resident yards, a 500-gallon spill, sludge build-up, trash at lift stations, missing records, missing signs, spills and water-quality issues. More water-quality problems continued over the years and in October 2007 the plant treated water without chlorine, which resulted in effluent with a high fecal count.

Sanibel Bayous plant — Sanibel

This plant has had numerous problems since 1999, not the least of which was allowing its operating license to expire Sept. 4, 2002. The plant continued treating an average of 50,000 gallons of raw sewage a day for the next five years. During that time the plant committed a long list of violations. In October 2007, the mayor of Sanibel, Mick Denham, said the plant’s sewage problems could be contributing to then-contaminated beaches. In January the city purchased the plant and plans to dismantle it this year.

South Seas Plantation — Captiva

The problems began with a warning letter dated Dec. 12, 1997, when an inspector wrote: “The March 1997 (discharge) report indicates Fecal Coliform result Too Numerous to Count.” The inspector also wrote the plant had been operating without a permit for a year. From 1998 to 2004 no major problems were reported. In February 2004, 150 gallons of wastewater were spilled in separate incidents. Records do not indicate the level of the water’s treatment. In a report dated on Aug. 3, 2007, DEP wrote: “From June 22, 2005 to October 13, 2005, the facility discharged wastewater to two golf course ponds that are not authorized discharge sites under the current permit.” The plant was fined $30,500, but chose instead to do a pollution prevention project to improve its facilities.