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Residents say sewer gas from Lift Station 37 damaged belongings; city pledges engineer report in 30 days
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Summary
Multiple Waters Edge RV Park residents told the Zephyrhills City Council that sewer gases from Lift Station 37 have caused property damage and persistent noxious odors; utilities staff said tests found no extreme hydrogen sulfide levels, the vent stack was raised and engineers are preparing a report within 30 days.
Dozens of residents of Waters Edge RV Park told the Zephyrhills City Council on Jan. 12 that persistent sewer odors from Lift Station 37 have damaged electronics, jewelry and other belongings and made some homes uninhabitable.
"Those toxic gases and noxious odors continue to be an issue in our park," said Penny Wickstrom (Lot 205), who provided photos and a packet she said documents corrosion and ruined items she attributes to sewer gases. Patrick Schmitz, speaking for a relative who owns Lot 204, said appliances are blackened and corroded since March. Other residents described a constant sulfur-like smell across the park.
City staff acknowledged the complaints and described steps under way. "We did do a smoke test," staff said, and found broken or disconnected pipes in some cases. John Bostic, utilities director, said the city's hydrogen sulfide detection equipment has not returned readings at levels he characterized as "extreme" but confirmed the odor can be strong inside some homes. He said the city recently raised the lift-station vent stack from about 2 feet to 15 feet and is evaluating scrubbers and other deodorizers upstream and at the station.
Staff also said Jones Edmunds, the design engineer for Station 37, has been on site and that the city received a letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Bostic told council engineers can prepare a preliminary report within 30 days and that staff will publish a plan of action; council requested an update at the Jan. 26 meeting or sooner if findings are ready.
Councilmembers asked for clarity about why only two adjacent lots (204 and 205) appear to have interior damage; staff said multiple factors—including backpressure created by re-piping those lots to a different manhole, disconnected household pipes revealed by smoke testing, and station emissions—are all being investigated. Staff said insurance claims submitted by residents were denied and the city has asked homeowners’ insurance to provide further documentation to the city’s insurer for review.
Next steps: engineers will finalize a report and a recommended plan of action within 30 days, staff will continue testing and remediation trials, and council asked staff to return with findings at the next meeting.
