Raw sewage oozing onto lawns and into homes


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NEW PORT RICHEY, FL - Residents who live near Bass Lake all say the same thing -- it's stinky, smelly, and steamy.

After massive flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, debris is now stopping the flow of water in nearby lakes, which means septic tanks are overflowing and oozing raw sewage into lawns and driveways.

Entire streets are a mix of storm water and smelly sewage. It's certainly a nasty combination on a hot day in Pasco County where raw sewage is seeping into the ground. Resident Stan Shaver says he's had enough. "There's no words to describe the level of frustration I have with this issue and the county's neglect."

His neighbor, Kim Proebster, wholeheartedly agrees. "Just start all over, that's all you have to do is start all over."

Longtime residents like Kim and her daughter are disgusted with the damage. Each day they're forced to bleach their feet after walking through sewage-filled water that runs all the way down their street.

Kim told 10 News, "I figured it would come up and go back down quickly, but it didn't."

Flood waters in nearby Bass Lake are not receding fast enough, which means septic tanks are overflowing with sewage seeping into the soil.

People who live in the area say there's too much debris in Bass Lake to have it flow smoothly and drain properly. They claim the county isn't doing nearly enough. Kim said, "I think the county needs to go out there every day, every morning, to check on it."

Her neighbor, Stan, says he's fed up with calling the county. "I have called the county and asked them to remove the debris and it has yet to be done."

We went straight to the county and asked what is being done to help these people. Commissioner Henry Wilson told us, "We're doing everything we can. We had a lot of water in a 24-hour period, 48-hour period. We're doing everything possible."

Commissioner Wilson says the staff is working around the clock to pump out millions of gallons of water, that all stationary pumps are working at full capacity, and that debris is being removed. In fact, the area near the Anclote River, which was one of the areas hardest hit, has seen noticeable improvement with the water receding. But, everyone agrees it is a slow process for both county staff and residents and a frustrating one.

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Really what do they want here? They have been told that the city is working as much as possible to clean up after the storm, are they hoping that the will get something else done?

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I was driving through downtown yesterday and I could smell something terrible for at least 2-4 blocks. It smelled like sewage festering on top of hot garbage. Not sure if it's related to the problem in Richey, but it's a coincidence.

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Govt can only do so much when there is over saturation of the ground!!! what do people expect to bring out hair dryers and warm up the ground to dry it. Besides spetic systems is a personal item on land right?

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