The city water staff will meet with state environmental officials some time before the end of January to address a state letter citing Apopka for 14 possible violations at Apopka’s wastewater treatment plant off Cleveland Street.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent what the agency said is a warning letter dated December 30 to Jay Davoll, the city’s public services director.
In the letter, Jeff Prather, director for the Central District of FDEP, said the city must address the possible wastewater plant violations that included a 10,000-gallon spill from the treatment plant on November 5.
Another potential violation occurred when the city caused up to four millions gallons of wastewater to be dumped into the reuse water storage ponds in late November, the DEP letter stated.
In another possible violation, Prather also said the city had bypassed sand filters and chlorine contact chambers on multiple occasions when the effluent has contained excessive solids.
“The use of the bypass allowed partially treated wastewater to enter the sprayfield holding pond (that holds reuse water),” Prather wrote.
City spokesman Robert Sargent responded to a handful of emailed questions, but would not make Davoll or Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer available to comment on the warning letter as was requested.
An extended story will appear in the Friday, January 13, issue of The Apopka Chief.
