FDEP fines Haines City $157K for wastewater spills
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued Haines City a $157,000 fine for a series of unauthorized wastewater spills, including millions of gallons released during hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
FDEP officials have found Haines City discharged more than 65 million gallons of reclaimed or untreated wastewater from July 2022 to December 2022 without state authorization. Of the total, approximately 884,000 was untreated wastewater.
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Two major spills were a direct result of heavy rain received during hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Haines City reported that during Hurricane Ian more than 15.7 million gallons of reclaimed water was released from the city's containment site and allowed to flow into a drainage ditch that empties into wetlands that filter into Lake Marion. The city released another 9.4 million of the reclaimed water during four days of heavy rain from Hurricane Nicole in November 2022. The state levied a $15,000 fine on the city for each of these storm-related events.
James Keen, Haines City's director of public works, previously told The Ledger the issue was Haines City experienced heavy rainfall ahead of Ian's arrival, meaning the city's storage area has a lot of water in it. The alternative to releasing the reclaimed water would have risked blowing out a berm, sending water crashing into Johnson Avenue at Powerline Road.
Keene predicted that would have been catastrophic, likely washing away parts of the roadway.
While many other Polk County municipalities also experienced wastewater spills due to power outages and flooding during the hurricanes, Haines City is one of the only to be fined. State officials have requested teleconferences with Auburndale and Bartow in ongoing investigation of their storm response.
Haines City was found to have 19 other unauthorized wastewater releases or spills, aside from the storms, over the six-month span. These events ranged in size from 100 gallons of untreated sewage to more than 10 million gallons of reuse or reclaimed water released into wetlands filtered into Lake Marion.
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The city has repeatedly released its reuse water — usually sold for irrigation of agricultural and sports fields, or landscaping ― into wetlands that filter into Lake Marion. It occurred roughly once a month:
7.7 million gallons of reuse water into Lake Marion outlet in August
10.3 million gallons of reuse water into Lake Marion outlet over four days in September
7.2 million gallons of reuse water into Lake Marion outlet over four days in October
6.8 million gallons of reuse water into Lake Marion outlet over four days in December
Keene said he had plans to directly contact FDEP to discuss the fines that were due March 6. He said city staff did their best to manage the storms and disagreed with the penalties for release of reuse, or reclaimed water.
"We have analytical data that shows the water we discharge is better quality than water in a ditch from normal runoff in the drainage ditch and wetlands," he said. "They aren't recognizing that."
Keene said instead of cutting a check, he hopes to discuss if the state would accept a in-kind project for the same amount. This would allow the city to spend the funds on much-needed improvements, like reclaimed water storage.
On March 23, FDEP sent another warning letter to Haines City saying it noticed more than 7 million gallons of unauthorized wastewater spills or sewer overflows between January and February. It's given city officials seven days to respond as part of an investigation.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-75454. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Haines City fined $157,000 by state for wastewater spills
