WILDWOOD, Fla. – The city of Wildwood has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for recent illegal sewage dumping there, and according to a city spokesperson, it’s not the first time this has happened.
A news release shared Thursday states city officials have noticed sporadic, sharp increases to the concentration of sanitary sewer flows entering the city’s wastewater treatment facility. Inconsistent with normal rainfall and seasonal fluctuations, the spikes are indicative of unauthorized dumping by sewage sludge trucks, according to the release.
“Not only do these sharp increases put our existing treatment facility under significant strain, they result in additional costs to the city and its ratepayers to treat sewage not generated within our service area,” Deputy Director Jason Martin said in a statement. “This dumping is illegal and places an unfair burden on our residents. We are asking the community to help us identify these criminals so we can hold them accountable.”
According to a city spokesperson, this has happened in the past, yet it stopped after a reward was put out.
Anyone who sees a sewage truck discharging into a sewer manhole in Wildwood is urged to report it to local police at 352-330-1355.
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