Growing Health and Environmental Concerns as City Fails to Address Long-Standing Wastewater System Issues
For Immediate Release
October 2, 2024–The City of Winter Springs has been hit with a $297,979 fine as part of a Consent Order issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), citing 24 violations in the city’s wastewater management system. These violations include systemic failures to properly monitor, report, and test for harmful contaminants, including fecal coliform detected in the groundwater supply. The violations raise significant concerns about the impact on local drinking water, which is drawn from the aquifer replenished by this groundwater.
A Series of Failures
This latest Consent Order comes in the wake of several alarming incidents, including a massive 383,000-gallon wastewater spill and a separate event where nearly 10,000 gallons of digested sludge were released into the environment. According to the DEP, violations recorded between 2022 and 2023 indicate that these failures are not isolated incidents but part of a broader, systemic problem in the city’s wastewater management.
Among the most concerning revelations are multiple reports of fecal coliform contamination in the groundwater. Tests revealed fecal coliform levels three to six times the legal limit, posing a direct threat to public health and safety. Fecal coliform contamination is particularly alarming, as it signifies the presence of pathogens that can cause serious illness in humans if ingested.
A Troubling History
This is not the first time the City of Winter Springs has come under scrutiny for wastewater management failures. The DEP’s 23-page Consent Order details a series of recurring violations, including:
- Failure to sample for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and fecal coliform
- Inadequate calibration of monitoring equipment
- Repeated failures to submit essential reports, such as the 2022 Annual Reuse Report
The city’s history of wastewater mismanagement stretches back at least four years, with fecal coliform issues first detected in 2019. A series of test failures, unreported incidents, and environmental disasters have plagued the city’s wastewater systems ever since. Notably, in January 2021, fecal coliform levels surged to 20,000 times the legal limit, around the time of a devastating fish kill in the Highlands area.
Ongoing Health and Environmental Risks
The DEP’s report highlights the potential contamination of Winter Springs’ groundwater and the broader environment, including local creeks and waterways. As groundwater replenishes the aquifer from which the city sources its drinking water, these violations directly threaten the city’s water supply. Residents are increasingly concerned that the city’s inability to address these persistent issues will result in long-term damage to public health and the environment.
“The residents of Winter Springs have had enough. Our community continues to suffer from the city’s repeated failures to properly manage our wastewater systems, and the consequences are alarming,” said Jesse Phillips, Founder of the Winter Springs Water Quality Initiative. “Fecal coliform in our groundwater isn’t just a violation on paper; it’s a direct threat to our health and our environment. We depend on the aquifer for our drinking water, and these continued failures jeopardize that most basic necessity. We need accountability, and we need it now.”
The Consent Order imposes not only financial penalties but also requires the city to take immediate corrective actions to address the identified violations. However, with a long track record of compliance failures, residents remain skeptical of the city’s ability to implement meaningful reforms.