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Highlands Today

County To Take Over T-Hills Sewer In 60 Days

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: May 4, 2008

SEBRING — In about 60 days, Highlands County will have to take over operations of the long troubled Thunderbird Hills Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This past week, David S. Plank, owner of Landmark Utilities, filed legal documents informing the county of his intent to abandon the plant.

"We anticipated this," said county Administrator Carl Cool. "It was no surprise. And we appreciate Mr. Plank being cooperative and cordial with us."

When a sewage plant is abandoned by its owner, the county has to take over operations and the owner has to give the county 60 days notice.

The Thunderbird plant, which has not had an operating permit from the Florida Department of of Environmental Services in six years, serves about 400 customers in the Thunderbird Hills South mobile home park and several surrounding subdivisions.

County commissioners have been discussing a permanent solution to the problems at the Thunderbird sewage plant for nearly two years.

The most likely solution, connecting the plant's customers to the Sebring wastewater treatment plant, is being studied now by a consulting engineering firm hired by the county.

Ramon Gavarrete, the county engineer, confirmed that officials of Sun 'N Lake of Sebring are looking into the possibility of tying Thunderbird's customers into their wastewater treatment system.

Gavarrete said he assumes the cost would be greater to connect Thunderbird's customers to Sun 'N Lake than to the city of Sebring, because Sun 'N Lake is further away. However, Gavarrete said Sun 'N Lake officials were told they are welcome to explore the possibility and make a proposal to the county.

Cool and Gavarrete said the county commission will select the least expensive option to resolve Thunderbird's problems because Thunderbird customers will pay assessments to fix them.

Discussion on Plank's notice of abandonment is scheduled for Tuesday's county commissioners meeting.

"Like I said before, this is not a surprise," Cool said. "We just want to let the board (commissioners) know what has been filed and talk with them about where do we go from here."

Once Landmark Utilities stops running the Thunderbird plant, Cool said, county workers will take over the day-to-day operation, unless that responsibility can be handled under contract by an outside individual or company.

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