RIVERVIEW, Fla. (WFLA) – A malfunctioning septic system at a mobile home park resulted in sewage waste flowing onto a neighbor’s property. State officials are worried that irrigation wells nearby could be impacted and people could be watering with sewage water.
“Diluted, but yes,” said Brian Miller, of the Florida Health Department.
Tom Fitzpatrick is fed up and says his neighbor, Sunshine Mobile Villas, is making his life miserable.
He claims he has been dealing with sewage waste water for months.
Hillsborough County Code Enforcement and the Florida Health Departement are involved.
Officials say the drain field on the mobile home park property failed and the septic system can’t handle the mobile home park’s waste. It’s overflowing into Fitzpatrick’s property, the health department says.
“Because it’s not being accepted in the ground, it’s actually percolating up, and that’s what’s running off,” Miller said.
County code enforcement has fined the owner of the park thousands of dollars and ordered repairs.
The park owner applied for a permit to fix the drain field, but the health department has denied that permit. The department says they have discoverd an irrigation well on Fitzpatrick’s property and want the drain field moved to the other side of the property.
Miller says they are wating for new engineer plans from the park.
William Mullens, owner of the park, says he is trying to fix this issue and pays to have the septic tank pumped regularly.
Code Enforcement tells 8 On Your Side that the county has fined the park $9,750. Of that, $7,500 is related to the sewage issue.
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