By Kyle LoJacono
Pasco County’s march of progress has created a big stink in Dade City.
The county is building a new wastewater, or sewage, treatment plant on the southeast corner of Christian and Powerline roads to replace a small and outdated facility in Lacoochee. The Northeast Subregional Wastewater Treatment Plant will provide additional water capacity for northeastern Pasco, according to assistant county administrator for utilities Bruce Kennedy.
“It’s going to bring jobs to the area along US 301,” Kennedy said. “Right now there isn’t capacity to support any large businesses that might want to move into the area.”
Many residents in the area are not convinced the plant will be an asset. About 200 people voiced their objection at a public meeting on Sept. 13 meant to answer questions about the future facility.
One protestor interrupted Kennedy a few minutes into his opening statements, shouting out that the county staffer was “brainwashed” by his boss. Kennedy admitted he did not expect the kind of negative sentiment that was present at the meeting but is firm in his stance that the plant will help the community.
“The idea is to stimulate growth,” Kennedy said. “We need this robust system and infrastructure to show future employers and light industrial developers our potential for growth.”
The majority of the outrage revolved around two main points: most residents say they were never told about the plant before the site was selected, and a fear the untreated wastewater will find its way into the ground water.
“Not even a word to us,” said Max Sherman, who lives minutes from the plant’s future site. “Plus most of us are on well water around here. If the sewage gets into the ground, then we’re all in a lot of trouble.”
The future facility will take wastewater and turn it into a source useable for industrial and other commercial purposes. It will not go into the drinking supply for the area, according to Kennedy.
The plant will be on 10 acres, which is surrounded by 260 acres of Pasco-owned land to create a buffer preventing any waste from seeping into the group, according to Kennedy. He add that the location is the best for the facility because the densely forested environment will prevent residents from looking at it, keeping the rural feel of the area.
“The people won’t be able to see the plant,” Kennedy said. “If no one ever told them it was there, they won’t have any idea it even exists.”
Once completed, the plant will produce about 300,000 gallons of water each day, but could increase capacity to 600,000 if needed. Kennedy said most facilities put out 2-3 million gallons daily, making it relatively small.
The location of the plant has a long history of opposition. In 2006, residents opposed a plan to develop 342 acres of the property to build 85 high-priced houses. That neighborhood would have been called Trilby Estates, but the developer decided not to build it because of the locals’ outrage about it upsetting the rural atmosphere of the area.
The county bought the land after the Trilby Estates developer backed out of the project. Pasco can therefore use the land for whatever use it wants, such as building a park, community center or a sewage plant.
The Pasco Commission will eventually give final approval for the plant project later this year.
Commissioner Ted Schrader, whose District 1 covers most of east Pasco including Dade City, was not at the public meeting, but said he has been receiving “spirited” emails from residents.
“We expected the meeting would answer everyone’s questions about the plant and let them know it will help us all by bringing in business,” Schrader said. “It obviously didn’t go as planned.”
Schrader said he plans to have another public meeting, which he will attend.
“In the end they are the residents, and we need to address their concerns,” Schrader said.
