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Signage at the Grouper Pumping Station points out Avon Park's ownership of the drinking water storage that services Sebring Ridge. Both the Grouper and the Shad Pumping Stations are currently under investigation by the Department of Environment Protection Agency for compliance issues.
click any photo to view this story's photo gallery  published: Friday, June 19, 2009 
Avon Park fined by DEP for water issues in Sebring Ridge By ED BALDRIDGE AVON PARK -- In March 2008 drinking water at Sebring Ridge Utilities, owned and operated by the city of Avon Park, tested positive for coliform bacteria, and a slow response to the incident gave cause for the Department of Environmental Protection to levy a fine. In a public notice dated June 20, 2008 the city admits to not following through with the required testing and states that "we cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time." Additionally, in a Sanitation Survey conducted at that same time, several other deficiencies were noted including excessive algae growth and three leaking concrete tanks. According to the DEP, coliform bacteria, or fecal bacteria, are the commonly-used indicator of the sanitary quality of foods and water. Coliforms are abundant in the feces of warm-blooded animals, but can also be found in the aquatic environment, in soil and on vegetation. In most instances, coliforms themselves are not the cause of sickness, but they are easy to culture and their presence is used to indicate that other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin may be present such as pathogens, viruses, or parasites including Escherichia coli, or E. coli, which is the major species in the fecal coliform group The presence of these organisms that can be harmful to humans in contaminated drinking water supplies are rare, but water pollution caused by fecal contamination is a serious problem due to the potential for contracting diseases from pathogens. Anytime there is a water line break, or the presence of coliforms are determined to be too high, the DEP and Health Department recommends a boil water warning, and suggests using bottled water for drinking and cooking. After testing positive in March 2008, Avon Park was required by law to submit five microbiological samples in April that would indicate the extent of the water quality and to notify the public that the drinking water might be unsafe immediately so that the water could be boiled. E-mails from Ted Long, Public Works supervisor in 2008, showed that he was seeking direction from City Manager Sarah Adelt concerning the deficiencies noted by the DEP, but no action was taken until May. The public was not notified until June. A letter from the DEP to Mayor Sharon Schuler informed the city that it was in violation of the law regarding the testing and notices, and Avon Park was assessed a fine of $2,000, but the city took no action to notify the public until after the DEP fine. Records from the DEP also show that Avon Park hand delivered notices to residents almost two months after the incident, on June 13, 16, and 17, 2008, too late for water customers to take any precautions, but at least one resident in the Sebring Ridge area never received a notice. "I had no idea that there were problems with the water supply," said J.R. Gonzalas, a resident of Sebring Ridge during that time period. "I never got a hand-delivered notice, and I don't remember seeing anything in the newspapers," Gonzalas said. The documents submitted by Avon Park to the DEP show that no notices went out to local newspapers for the incident. According to a June 9, 2009 report from DEP, most of the other deficiencies, including the leaking tanks, have not been brought into compliance, putting Avon Park in line for more possible fines. Leaking tanks become a water source for birds and small animals. The animals often defecate in the same area, and the leak allows the bacteria to enter the drinking water source. The total amount paid in fines and administrative costs by the city to date for that incident has only been $1,850. According to DEP records, the original fine of $2,000 was reduced to $1,600 because of a lack of prior history, and an additional $250 to reimburse DEP for the investigation was added to the settlement. Members of the Avon Park City Council contacted stated they were not fully aware of the problems, declined to comment, or did not return phone calls on this issue.  Comments (by: Preston H. Colby - 6/21/2009) Wouldn't it be nice if all Comments had a "relevance" scoring system? Only those with a passing grade would be allowed to make it to the homepage. Regards... PHC Crooked (by: Fed UP - 6/21/2009) Boot the city manager and boot the crooked mayor. Neither of them have the skills to do the job. Avon Park is a joke. It actually should be renamed "Mexican Park" because I think there are maybe only 15 americans living there. AP always in the news (by: Wong - 6/21/2009) Everytime u turn around something negative is in the paper about Avon Park....this has really gotten old. Is there ANYONE up in AP qualified to run the show?? They are paying some guy from Orlando who knows nothing about public works department, come on...was or is there not someone with experience and a good record to run the show? 2nd that! (by: Sara "Devil" - 6/20/2009) Zander I couldn't agree with you more. Sara is the Devil and I wish all the citizens would join together and show up at a council meeting and voice their diapproval for the City Manager to her boss....the City Council. If we wantchange the City Manager and Mayor need to be booted. Sara Adelt is a complete bafoon and has and will continue to run this city into the ground. Come citizens let the council hear your voice. Sarah (by: Zander - 6/20/2009) Sarah Adelt is the DEVIL!!!!!! Water (by: thirsty - 6/20/2009) I have lived in Sebring Ridge for several years. Never reciecved any notice about the water. The only thing Avon Park does with speed is send out the bill. I'm sure in the long run we the customers will pay for AP's screw up. great place for pot! (by: fishbone - 6/20/2009) best pot in america... City of Avonpark (by: Lady - 6/20/2009) Oh boy ,poor Us .We will be the one paying the fine while we're dying from poison water.Check out your next water bill to proof me right. More Sign Errors (by: Observant - 6/19/2009) For anyone interested in the "Legend of Misspelled Signs" in Avon Park, there are three separate signs for Hal McRae Blvd inside the city and ALL three are spelled differently!!! The only one spelled correctly is the one directly in the middle of the southside! Or should I say "da frunt skreet" Annexing more land? (by: mbaker - 6/19/2009) If the city can'nt manage the area they have now, how are they going to manage more area. The tax base may increase, but it also means they have more area to manage. If I lived in an area they wanted to annex, I would fight it vigorously because of their history of financial mismanagement. It seems to me that the citizens of Avon Park really don't care of what happens in their city and havn't for a long time. KRAP NOVA SCARES ME! (by: JOE - 6/19/2009) HAHHAHAHAHHHAHAHHA!!!!!! WHAT A DUMP... Senor,where is the bano? Me have to go badly amigo (by: Poncho's horse - 6/19/2009) They always say dont drink the water in Mexico,well,have you been to Avon Park there recently? It's just a suburb of Mexico City. What do you expect? Avon Park,City of Literacy (by: Rusty Shackleford - 6/19/2009) It is just begging for a mention on The Wild Turkey's sign out front! My preschooler can spell emergency,you all need her to do your Tijuana diarrhea water signs for you? (by: Spellchecker 2000 - 6/19/2009) No wonder I get the runs when I drink the water. I gets wunna dem undawear emergenceys. cee spot run cee spot chace da kat (by: Rusty Shackleford - 6/19/2009) Yes, there is a spelling error on the sign. If you can't expect Avon Krap to keep a city budget in line,and keep their cops out of jail,how in the hell can you expect them to spell a damned sign right? It reminds me of one day at Dollar General. They had a jar set up for donations for aid with a literacy program. The handwritten sign on the jar read " Pleese help fight litercy",true story. I have a picture of the jar in my phone. Everyone makes spelling errors,even some "spellcheck" software overlooks simple mistakes. When you advertise an inability to spell on a sign with your city emblem across the top of it,that says everything about your pitiful town. Did the signmaker have to prove posession of a diploma before hire? Sign Error (by: Lady - 6/19/2009) You are correct. Yes, there is a typo. Emergency not Emergencey. At least the City of Avon Park is consistant. Error after Error.... City Council Meeting (by: Dufus Maghee - 6/19/2009) I hear that at Monday's Council Meeting the City Manager as well as George Hall are going to attempt to drastically cut city services to the citizens of Avon Park including the Fire Department, Police Department, Code Enforcement, the Recreation Center for our children, as well as other things. Instead of cutting services to cover their mismanagement....why not annex surrounding areas into the city to increase it's tax base? Why move back when we should be going forward? Why be reactive to the financial situation that they created? Lets be proactive and improve our city! Come on City Council do the right thing for your citizens!!!!! Remember election time is coming and we the citizens are watching and will be voting based on your actions or inactions! Hall may not be running again, but the others are. Save our Fire Department, Police Department, and Youth Services!!!!!!!!!!!!! City Manager (by: Dufus Maghee - 6/19/2009) The City Council has been lied to about all aspects of what is going on in City Hall by Sarah Adelt. The City Council needs to serve the people of the city and fire that menace. Since Adelt has been running the city it has been all down hill. Time to get someone that knows what they are doing and has the best interests of the citizens in mind. That includes the City Finance Director and Mayor with their money mismanagement and shady deals! Come on City Council it is time to serve the citizens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sign error? (by: Hmmm - 6/19/2009) Is it just me or is there a typo on that sign? Just like Tijuana (by: Rusty Shackleford - 6/19/2009) Cant even drink the water in Avon Krap. One thing I recently discovered,their Maryland Fried Chicken location blows away Frostproof's,and I thought they were the best. Only good thing up there.  Small Banner Ads |
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