A sewage overflow on Hadley Drive in Plantation Hills was being repaired by City of Lakeland workers early afternoon today.
City Manager Jim Atkinson told Lakeland Currents the generator went out, as well as the backup generator. “It is definitely not a wholesale infrastructure problem,” he said.
He said there are always issues with the sewer system. It’s not unusual, he said, for City crews to knock on someone’s door at 3 a.m. for backyard access to fix a problem.
There is an emergency phone posted on the website which citizens can use to report issues and problems: 870-8594 24-hours a day.
He said there are 18 lift stations in the City and there is a staff available to maintain them 24/7.
He noted the City sewer system is highly regulated with frequent reports to the State and the system as a whole is just fine.
Emily Harrell, city engineer, said, “We are repairing the permanent pumps. The temporary bypass pumps malfunctioned causing the overflow. We have a replacement bypass pump onsite now. The repairs to the permanent pumps will take 6-8 weeks. This is not a reflection on poor infrastructure. The pumps require a lot of maintenance and parts are specific to each pump so not always readily available.”
Eddie Jackson with the City wastewater department was working behind the Hadley Drive houses early this afternoon. The backup was in front of houses at 4211 and 4201 Hadley Drive.
Residents in that area of Plantation Hills brought their concerns to social media today.
… Photo by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
